Characteristics of Telehealth Users in NYC for COVID-related Care during the Coronavirus Pandemic

Abstract

The response to COVID-19 has involved an unprecedented expansion in telehealth. While older Americans and minority populations among others are known to be disadvantaged by the digital divide, few studies have examined disparities in telehealth specifically, and none during COVID-19. This study uses data from a large health system in NYC – the initial epicenter of the US crisis – to describe characteristics of patients seeking COVID-related care via telehealth, ER, or office encounters during the peak pandemic period. Demographic factors are significantly predictive of encounter type. Of any age group, patients 65+ had the lowest odds of using telehealth versus other modalities. By race and ethnicity, Black and Hispanic patients have lower odds of using telehealth versus either the ER or an office visit than either Whites or Asians – this remains true even after adjusting for age, comorbidities and preferred language. Additional research into sociodemographic heterogeneity in telehealth use is needed to prevent potentially further exacerbating health disparities overall.