Changes in Patient Characteristics in Telehealth Usage During Times of Crisis

Abstract

There is limited knowledge on whether increased telehealth usage may enhance health access to communities during natural disasters, particularly for emergency medical services. This study aimed to elucidate telehealth usage during three hurricanes in NC between 2018 and 2020 and assessed demographics of users including gender and age, insurance status, and daily rate of visits in relation to respective hurricanes. From 10,056 telehealth visits, we found that age and insurance coverage were significantly different between crisis and non-crisis times. Patients found comparative satisfaction during both times. This study suggests the use of phone and video visits to enable better access to parents with children under the age of 18 years and uninsured patients.