TY - JOUR
T1 - Achieving Equity in Telehealth
T2 - "centering at the Margins" in Access, Provision, and Reimbursement
AU - Westby, Andrea
AU - Nissly, Tanner
AU - Gieseker, Rebecca
AU - Timmins, Kaleigh
AU - Justesen, Kathryn
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 American Board of Family Medicine. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/2
Y1 - 2021/2
N2 - The SARS-CoV-2 epidemic has led to rapid transformation of health care delivery and access with increased provision of telehealth services despite previously identified barriers and limitations to this care. While telehealth was initially envisioned to increase equitable access to care for under-resourced populations, the way in which telehealth provision is designed and implemented may result in worsening disparities if not thoughtfully done. This commentary seeks to demonstrate the opportunities for telehealth equity based on past research, recent developments, and a recent patient experience case example highlighting benefits of telehealth care in underserved patient populations. Recommendations to improve equity in telehealth provision include improved virtual visit technology with a focus on patient ease of use, strategies to increase access to video visit equipment, universal broadband wireless, and inclusion of telephone visits in CMS reimbursement criteria for telehealth. ( J Am Board Fam Med 2021;34:S29-S32.).
AB - The SARS-CoV-2 epidemic has led to rapid transformation of health care delivery and access with increased provision of telehealth services despite previously identified barriers and limitations to this care. While telehealth was initially envisioned to increase equitable access to care for under-resourced populations, the way in which telehealth provision is designed and implemented may result in worsening disparities if not thoughtfully done. This commentary seeks to demonstrate the opportunities for telehealth equity based on past research, recent developments, and a recent patient experience case example highlighting benefits of telehealth care in underserved patient populations. Recommendations to improve equity in telehealth provision include improved virtual visit technology with a focus on patient ease of use, strategies to increase access to video visit equipment, universal broadband wireless, and inclusion of telephone visits in CMS reimbursement criteria for telehealth. ( J Am Board Fam Med 2021;34:S29-S32.).
KW - Access to health care
KW - Centers for medicare and medicaid services
KW - Covid-19
KW - Medically underserved area
KW - Telemedicine
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85101929644&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85101929644&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3122/JABFM.2021.S1.200280
DO - 10.3122/JABFM.2021.S1.200280
M3 - Review article
C2 - 33622814
AN - SCOPUS:85101929644
SN - 1557-2625
VL - 34
SP - S29-S32
JO - Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
JF - Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
ER -