Variation in telemedicine usage in gynecologic cancer: Are we widening or narrowing disparities?
Gynecol Oncol
; 184: 160-167, 2024 05.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38320467
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Telemedicine rapidly increased with the COVID-19 pandemic and could reduce cancer care disparities. Our objective was to evaluate sociodemographic (race, insurance), patient, health system, and cancer factors associated with telemedicine use in gynecologic cancers.METHODS:
We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with endometrial cancer and epithelial ovarian cancer with at least one visit from March 2020 to October 2021, using a real-world electronic health record-derived database, representing approximately 800 sites in US academic (14%) and community practices (86%). We used multivariable Poisson regression modeling to analyze the association of ever using telemedicine with patient, sociodemographic, health system, and cancer factors.RESULTS:
Of 3950 patients with ovarian cancer, 1119 (28.3%) had at least one telemedicine visit. Of 2510 patients with endometrial cancer, 720 (28.7%) had at least one telemedicine visit. At community cancer practices, patients who identified as Black were less likely to have a telemedicine visit than patients who identified as white in both ovarian and endometrial cancer (Ovarian RR 0.62, 95% CI 0.42-0.9; Endometrial RR 0.56, 95% CI 0.38-0.83). Patients in the Southeast, Midwest, West, and Puerto Rico were less likely to have telemedicine visits than patients in the Northeast. Uninsured patients were less likely, and patients with Medicare were more likely, to have one or more telemedicine visit than patients with private insurance.CONCLUSIONS:
In this national cohort study, <30% of patients ever used telemedicine, and significant racial and regional disparities existed in utilization. Telemedicine expansion efforts should include programs to improve equity in access to telemedicine.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Telemedicina
/
Disparidades en Atención de Salud
Tipo de estudio:
Observational_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Middle aged
País como asunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article