Sociodemographic factors affecting telemedicine access: A population-based analysis.
Surgery
; 171(3): 793-798, 2022 03.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1537090
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic prompted a surge in telemedicine, with the presumption that patients had computer and internet access. We sought to determine, in a population-based sample, how many Americans were using computers and the internet before the pandemic, and whether disparities existed in this.METHODS:
The National Health Interview Survey is conducted annually by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is representative of the entire United States civilian non-institutionalized population. In 2018, questions were fielded regarding computer and web utilization. We evaluated sociodemographic factors associated with this.RESULTS:
Twenty-five thousand and forty-nine people, representing 245,842,992 in the population, responded to these questions. Of the responses, 19% stated they used a computer "never or almost never," 18% stated they did not use the internet, and 25% did not use email. Over the previous 12 months, 55% of responders stated they had looked up health information on the internet, 11% had filled a prescription online, 16% had scheduled a medical appointment on the internet, and 17% had communicated with a healthcare provider by email. Internet usage varied by region, age, race, education, family income, and insurance status, but not by gender.CONCLUSION:
As telemedicine becomes more prevalent, sociodemographic factors limiting computer and internet use may disadvantage certain segments of the population.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Telemedicine
/
Healthcare Disparities
/
Sociodemographic Factors
/
Health Services Accessibility
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Limits:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
/
Young adult
Language:
English
Journal:
Surgery
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS