Patient Characteristics Associated With Telehealth Use in a Large Federally Qualified Health Center

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Digital Health Equity
• Primary Care Informatics

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telehealth services due to limitations in in-person care.
• Federally qualified health centers play a crucial role in providing primary care to diverse populations.
• Understanding telehealth utilization patterns is essential for ensuring equitable healthcare access.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze trends in telehealth utilization among adult primary care patients.
• To identify patient characteristics associated with telehealth use, focusing on linguistic diversity, including Asian Indian languages.
• To assess potential disparities in telehealth access.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cross-sectional study utilizing electronic health records from a Washington state federally qualified health center (2020-2022).
• Multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine factors associated with telehealth visit completion (video/phone).
• Subgroup analysis focused on patients speaking languages common in India.

Main Results:

• Telehealth use peaked in 2020 and decreased in subsequent years; in-person visits increased in 2021.
• Lower odds of telehealth use were associated with younger age, minority status, non-English language preference, rural residence, male/Gender X identification, and lack of insurance.
• Disparities were observed across demographic and linguistic groups, including Asian Indian language speakers.

Conclusions:

• Significant disparities in telehealth access exist across various demographic and linguistic lines.
• Findings underscore concerns regarding equitable access to telehealth services for underrepresented populations.
• Results can inform strategies to enhance telehealth accessibility for underserved communities.