A Retrospective Cohort Review of the Health Disparities in the Older Adult Population with the Recent Surge in Telemedicine Use

Background: Evaluate telemedicine uptake (audio-video and audio-only communications) and document sociodemographic differences amongst older adults during 2020. Methods Retrospective review of electronic medical records of patients 65 + years seen in three geriatric practices the New York metropolitan area January-November 2020. Multivariable regression evaluated association of demographic, socioeconomic factors and visit type. Results About a third of patients engaged in telemedicine visits. Telemedicine visits represented 80% of all visits in April dropping to an average of 11.8% by November. Use was similar across age groups, gender, race and insurance payer status between telemedicine versus in-person encounters. Patients with more comorbidities were more likely to use telemedicine. 47.5% of patients who engaged in video visits had another person/family member present during an encounter. Conclusions Telemedicine augmented access to health care across sociodemographic characteristics in this geriatric population. It may serve as a tool to reduce enduring health care disparities beyond the pandemic.