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Low-income and rural patients are least likely to access healthcare services delivered remotely via video, phone call or text message, according to a study published in Health Affairs.
Researchers from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., reviewed four years of data from a survey commissioned by the Association of American Medical Colleges to assess trends in remote care, also called telehealth. The survey, designed to be representative of the U.S. population, included responses from 22,000 American adults.
Telehealth use increased during the study period, from 2013 to 2016, in part due to providers offering remote care through emerging technologies such as live video, live chat, texting and smartphone applications. In June 2013, 6.6 percent of respondents had accessed healthcare services through video consultations, compared to 21.6 percent by December 2016.