Disparities in Digital Health Care Use in 2022

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Health Disparities
• Social Vulnerability

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital health care services.
• However, disparities in the utilization of telehealth, telemedicine, and telemonitoring remain understudied.
• Understanding these disparities is crucial for equitable health care access.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between individual characteristics and digital health care use.
• To determine if these associations differ based on county-level social vulnerability.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional online survey of US adults residing in counties with varying social vulnerability (Minority Health Social Vulnerability Index - MHSVI).
• Data collected from February to August 2022.
• Analysis involved multivariable logistic regression to examine associations between sociodemographic, health, and technology factors and digital health service use, stratified by MHSVI.

Main Results:

• Overall, 50.59% used telehealth, 29.56% used telemedicine, and 15.69% used telemonitoring.
• English nonproficiency and prior in-person visits were associated with higher telehealth use.
• Conversely, not having a primary care clinician was linked to lower digital health use.
• Associations between individual characteristics and digital health use varied by county-level social vulnerability, with some underserved groups showing higher utilization.

Conclusions:

• Digital health care use is influenced by individual characteristics and is moderated by county-level social vulnerability.
• Certain underserved populations demonstrated higher self-reported use of digital health services.
• Addressing disparities in digital health care is essential for improving health care access for vulnerable populations.