Evaluating pandemic telehealth access: Funding and policy implications
Abstract
Access to telehealth services remains dependent on several underlying technological services, regional policies and demographic characteristics. This study evaluates telehealth service use during and after the COVID-19 pandemic using univariate and multivariate analyses. Survey data originated from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey COVID-19 supplement conducted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. We found that telehealth utilisation was higher in the northern and western regions of the United States, as well as among beneficiaries residing in urban locations. Non-White race, lower income and Medicare/Medicaid dual eligibility were also associated with larger odds of telehealth use during the pandemic. In addition, we identify potential funding shortfalls by the Federal Communications Commission in response to the pandemic, particularly in the Midwest region, and examine the effect of internet access on telehealth utilisation. Finally, we discuss the policy factors associated with accessing telehealth services.
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Author's Biography
Thomas Martin , PhD, joined Saint Joseph’s University from the telecommunications and healthcare IT industries. He has lived and worked overseas in Australia, travelling extensively in Asia Pacific for business. Dr Martin began his journey in healthcare working at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. He has served as project lead for numerous IT implementations and mobile app developments and is a former director with Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), a global, cause-based, not-for-profit organisation focused on better health through IT. Dr Martin’s research interests include the application of cost-benefit analysis, comparative effectiveness and other economic valuations within the healthcare setting, specifically telehealth, remote patient monitoring and connected health/mHealth.
Hamlet Gasoyan , PhD, is an Investigator at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Value-Based Care Research and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. His research focuses on value-based care, health insurance design, health disparities and health outcomes with applications to obesity and cancer. His research is currently funded by the National Cancer Institute. Dr Gasoyan received a PhD degree in health policy and health services research from Temple University, an MPH degree with a concentration in healthcare organisations and management from the University of South Florida, and a Doctor of Stomatology (Dental Medicine) degree from Yerevan State Medical University in Armenia. He also completed postdoctoral training in health services research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Prior to transitioning to an academic career, he was a practising dentist and public health professional.
Citation
Martin, Thomas and Gasoyan, Hamlet (2023, December 1). Evaluating pandemic telehealth access: Funding and policy implications. In the Management in Healthcare: A Peer-Reviewed Journal, Volume 8, Issue 2. https://doi.org/10.69554/EOWF5805.
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