AI Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to analyze telehealth trends in a workers' compensation system during COVID-19, focusing on how different sociodemographic factors influenced its use.
- Telehealth utilization rose from 1.2% pre-pandemic to a peak of 8.8% in April 2020, then stabilized around 3.6% by late 2020, with significant variations based on age, sex, and other demographic factors.
- The findings highlight the need for further research on access disparities in telehealth among injured workers, indicating shifts in service delivery during the pandemic.
Article Abstract
Objective: To describe telehealth trends within a population-based workers' compensation system during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to assess telehealth utilization by sociodemographic characteristics.
Methods: This cross-sectional study used Washington State workers' compensation claims and medical billing data from January 2019 to October 2020.
Results: Telehealth use averaged 1.2% of medical bills pre-pandemic, peaked in April 2020 at 8.8%, and leveled off to around 3.6% from July to October 2020. Telehealth utilization differed significantly by age, sex, number of dependents, injury, industry, and receipt of interpreter services. Workers residing in counties with higher population, lower poverty rates, and greater Internet access had higher telehealth usage.
Conclusions: There were dramatic shifts in telehealth; usage differed by sociodemographic characteristics. Further studies evaluating disparities in tele-health access among injured workers are needed.
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Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9038672 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000002520 | DOI Listing |
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