Nursing

Gerontology

Demography

Health care

Public health

Telehealth

Health insurance

Rurality

Medicaid

Economics

Health equity

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Family medicine

Infectious disease (medical specialty)

Internal medicine

Sociology

Telemedicine

Medicine

Economic growth

Pandemic

Residence

Public health insurance

Disease

Rural area

Pathology

Demographics

Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in an unprecedented expansion in telehealth, but little is known about differential use of telehealth according to demographics, rurality, or insurance status.We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 7742 family medicine encounters at a single USA institution in the initial month of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). We compared the demographics of those using telehealth during the PHE to those with face-to-face visits during the same time period; we also compared the demographics of those using full audio-video to those using audio-only.The likelihood of any telehealth visit in the first 30 days of telehealth expansion was higher for women, those age 65 years and older, self-pay patients, and those with Medicaid and Medicare as primary payers. The likelihood of a telehealth visit was reduced for rural residence and Black or other races. Among all telehealth visits, the likelihood of a full audio-video telehealth visit was reduced for patients who were older, Black, from urban areas, or who were self-pay, Medicaid, or Medicare payer status.Significant disparities exist in telehealth use during the COVID-19 PHE by age, race, residence and payer.

Disparities in the use of telehealth at the onset of the COVID-19 public health emergency