Telemedicine use for pediatric asthma care: a mixed methods study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Asthma Care
• Telemedicine Utilization
• Health Equity

Background:

• Asthma affects millions of children and young adults.
• Telemedicine offers a potential solution for improving access to care.
• Understanding factors influencing telemedicine adoption is crucial for equitable healthcare delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors associated with telemedicine use in pediatric asthma care.
• To explore the experiences of parents and patients with telemedicine asthma management.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods study combining electronic health record analysis and qualitative focus groups.
• Analysis of 502 patients aged 2-24 with asthma diagnoses.
• Multivariable logistic regression and qualitative content analysis of focus group transcripts.

Main Results:

• Telemedicine use was significantly lower for non-English primary language patients (OR=0.12), school-aged children (OR=0.43), and those seeing primary care providers (OR=0.55).
• Key themes from focus groups included patient engagement, access, visit experience, measurements, scheduling, and future telemedicine use.
• Identified disparities highlight potential barriers to equitable telemedicine adoption.

Conclusions:

• Combining telemedicine with in-person visits may enhance asthma care access and reduce patient/family burden.
• Further research is needed to understand and address low telemedicine use among non-English speaking populations.
• Ensuring equitable access to telemedicine is essential for all children and young adults with asthma.