Telemedicine, COVID-19, and disparities: Policy implications
Gezzer Ortegaa, Jorge Alberto Rodriguezb, Lydia R. Maurerc, Emily E. Wittd, Numa P. Pereze, Amanda Jane Reicha, David Westfall Batesf✉
- aCenter for Surgery and Public Health, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- bDepartment of General Internal Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- cDepartment of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- dHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- eDepartment of Surgery, Healthcare Transformation Lab, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- fDivision of General Internal Medicine and Primary Care, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1620 Tremont Street, BC3-2M, Boston, MA 02120-1613, USA
- ✉Corresponding author
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Abstract
Highlights • COVID-19 has resulted in a dramatic increase in the use of telemedicine but this could worsen disparities.• We review recent telemedicine policy changes and their implications regarding disparities.• We also discuss what systems can do to improve access to telemedicine and to best meet the needs of underserved patients.
TL;DRCOVID-19 has resulted in a dramatic increase in the use of telemedicine but this could worsen disparities, and what systems can do to improve access to telemedicine and to best meet the needs of underserved patients is discussed. (Semantic Scholar)