Research Report How Adults with Chronic Health Conditions Experience Telehealth
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Insights from the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Fredric Blavin, Ian Hill, Laura Barrie Smith, Claire O'Brien
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The use of telehealth services skyrocketed when the COVID-19 outbreak struck in March 2020. Using a large nationally representative survey of US adults and follow-up qualitative interviews, we provide new information and insights into the use of and access to telehealth services during the first 12 months of the pandemic among adults with chronic health conditions. Over half of adults with chronic health conditions surveyed in April 2021 used telehealth in the previous year, the majority of whom were satisfied with their telehealth visits. Those with chronic conditions obtained high levels of in-person care and telehealth services during the first year of the pandemic, covering a range of conditions and types of care. While overall satisfied and interested in continued use of telehealth, interviewees believed some in-person care is needed to achieve optimal quality. As policymakers face consequential decisions about the permanence of pandemic-era changes to telehealth regulation, the key findings from this analysis can highlight the benefits of telehealth for the population that utilizes it the most—those with chronic health conditions.

Research and Evidence Health Policy Technology and Data
Expertise Health Care Coverage, Costs, and Access
Tags Health IT and telehealth COVID-19 Public health Data analysis Qualitative data analysis Quantitative data analysis