Exploring Barriers Toward Telehealth in an Underserved, Uninsured Patient Population

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Digital Health Equity
• Community Health

Background:

• Telehealth offers potential to improve healthcare access for underserved populations.
• Underutilization of telehealth limits continuity of care and health outcomes.
• A pilot study examined telehealth attitudes and barriers at a student-run free clinic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate patient attitudes towards telehealth.
• To identify barriers to telehealth adoption among diverse patient groups.
• To inform targeted interventions for improving telehealth accessibility.

Main Methods:

• Electronic surveys administered bimonthly to 100 patients (May 2022-August 2023).
• Surveys collected data on demographics, telehealth attitudes, perceived barriers, and technology comfort.
• Data analyzed comparing English and Spanish-speaking patient groups.

Main Results:

• Majority of patients were Hispanic/Latino (68%), female (54%), aged 40-60 (52%).
• Spanish speakers reported lower technological comfort and reliable internet access (66.7%) vs. English speakers (100%).
• English speakers showed greater ownership of digital devices and comfort using them for healthcare.

Conclusions:

• Significant disparities in telehealth barriers exist, disproportionately affecting Spanish speakers.
• Addressing technological and access gaps is crucial for equitable telehealth implementation.
• Survey-guided interventions are needed to overcome these identified disparities.