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Leveraging Telemedicine to Reduce the Financial Burden of Asthma Care.
Gilkey, Melissa B; Kong, Wei Yi; Kennedy, Kathryn L; Heisler-MacKinnon, Jennifer; Faugno, Elena; Gwinn, Barbara; Wu, Ann Chen; Loughlin, Ceila E; Galbraith, Alison A.
  • Gilkey MB; Department of Health Behavior, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC. Electronic address: gilkey@email.unc.edu.
  • Kong WY; Department of Health Behavior, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.
  • Kennedy KL; Department of Health Behavior, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.
  • Heisler-MacKinnon J; Department of Health Behavior, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.
  • Faugno E; Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.
  • Gwinn B; NC Children's Allergy and Asthma Center, UNC Health, Chapel Hill, NC.
  • Wu AC; Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.
  • Loughlin CE; NC Children's Allergy and Asthma Center, UNC Health, Chapel Hill, NC; Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pulmonology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC.
  • Galbraith AA; Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.
J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract ; 10(10): 2536-2542, 2022 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1867307
ABSTRACT
One of the most compelling arguments for telemedicine is its potential to increase health care access by making care more affordable for patients and families, including those affected by asthma. This goal is critically important in the United States, where the high cost of asthma care is associated with nonadherence to preventive care regimens and suboptimal health outcomes. In this clinical commentary review, we draw from the literature and our own research to identify opportunities for and challenges to leveraging telemedicine to reduce the financial burden of asthma care. Our interviews with 42 families affected by asthma during the COVID-19 pandemic suggest that under favorable circumstances, telemedicine can meaningfully reduce costs, including those related to transportation and missed work, while offering high-quality care. However, families also identified ways in which telemedicine can increase costs. For example, some reported reduced access to support services and material resources such as medication samples, which they relied on to manage costs. In this way, our findings underscore the need for careful care coordination and communication in telemedicine. We conclude by discussing the 4Rs, a structured communication approach designed to support cost conversations, increase care coordination, and help families reduce asthma care cost burden.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Asthma / Telemedicine / COVID-19 Type of study: Observational study / Prognostic study / Qualitative research Limits: Humans Country/Region as subject: North America Language: English Journal: J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract Year: 2022 Document Type: Article

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Asthma / Telemedicine / COVID-19 Type of study: Observational study / Prognostic study / Qualitative research Limits: Humans Country/Region as subject: North America Language: English Journal: J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract Year: 2022 Document Type: Article