Telehealth Access and Equity

This domain ensures the learner is able to recognize and mitigate biases, use telehealth to promote health equity, and accommodate patients' individual needs, preferences, and barriers during a telehealth encounter. While telehealth has great potential to improve access and equity - i.e. providing patients in rural and critical access geographies with specialist care - it also relies on digital literacy and Wi-Fi/data connectivity. As such, telehealth programs must proactively address this "digital divide" or else risk widening it.

The Future of Telehealth After COVID-19

This report synthesizes telehealth research and Medicare data analyses in order to provide recommendations regarding future public policy decisions toward telehealth services. Part 1 provides an overview of current federal policy regarding telehealth, an analysis of quality of care and patient outcomes, and a cost impact analysis. Part 2 provides actionable federal policy recommendations toward improving telehealth access and reducing inequities across patient populations (sections to highlight are pages 34-47).

Source: Harris J, Newell B, Serafini MW, et al., Bipartisan Policy Center (2022)

Examining the Telehealth Digital Divide for Patients with Limited English Proficiency

This podcast features a discussion on telehealth usage by patients with limited English proficiency and how technology equity is a vital component of addressing overall health inequities within this patient population. Limited English proficiency, decreased rates of internet usage, and living in a non-metropolitan area were all found to be associated with decreased rates of telehealth usage. The podcast also advocates for adjoining interpreting services to telehealth platforms to reduce inequities for patients with limited English proficiency (sections to highlight are 5:00-11:00, 13:00-17:00). 

Source: Weil A, Rodriguez JA (2021)

Ensuring Equitable Access to Telehealth for Diverse and Underserved Communities

This website provides recommendations for both clinicians and caregivers with social determinants of health limiting their access to telehealth services. Recommendations focus on those with limited internet access, poor health literacy, and limited English proficiency (sections to highlight are the patient demographics and discussion).

Source: American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) (2021)

Trends in Telehealth and its Implications for Health Disparities

This website examines the healthcare disparities among racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups, in addition to the role that telehealth can play in reducing these inequities. Part III examines recent trends in telehealth utilization while Part IV examines barriers to physical healthcare visit access. Part V evaluates the limitations of telehealth in addressing the above healthcare disparities (sections to highlight are pages 1-6, 40-42).

Source: Edmiston KD, Alzubi J (2022)

Seizing the Moment for Telehealth Policy and Equity

This editorial examines the social determinants of health affecting access to telemedicine care and utilization of telehealth services in the Chicago metro area. It also provides strategies to reduce inequities in telehealth access and digital resources to mitigate poor technology literacy as a barrier to utilization of telehealth services.

Source: Shah SD, Alkureishi L, Lee WW (2022)

Health Equity in Telehealth

This website is a guide for telehealth providers with a focus on providers establishing telehealth services and patients who are first-time telehealth utilizers. It provides guidance on promoting equity and access to telehealth for underserved populations and best practices for care for LGBTQ+ and elderly populations.

Source: Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) (2023)

Making Telemedicine More Accessible to Vulnerable, Underserved Populations

This website provides a summary of recommendations for safety net providers regarding dismantling barriers to telehealth access for patients with limited English proficiency.

Source: UCLA Health (2020)

Telehealth for Older Adults: Principles, Guidelines, and Lessons Learned

This video and accompanying slide deck create a collaborative framework for providing effective telehealth care to older adults. Discussion focuses on three guiding principles: patient-centered care, equitable and accessible care, and an integrated and coordinated approach to providing telehealth care.

Source: The National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers (2022)

Telehealth Use in Rural Healthcare

This website offers an overview of the value of telehealth for rural communities for both providers and patients, and describes the medical access inequality seen in rural populations.

Source: Rural Health Information Hub (2021)