Historically, there has been racial inequity when it comes to primary care appointments, which are vital for managing and preventing chronic disease. But as COVID-19 struck the United States in 2020 and telemedicine availability rose sharply, gaps in access disappeared for Black patients at Penn Medicine, new research shows. And even once «normal» in-office appointments returned, the historic inequities stayed erased, indicating that telemedicine wasn’t just a stopgap solution but a potential long-term tool for equity. These findings, from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, were published in Telemedicine and e-Health.
The racial gap in completed doctor visits disappeared in 2020 as telemedicine availability rose
Historically, there has been racial inequity when it comes to primary care appointments, which are vital for managing and preventing chronic disease. But as COVID-19 struck the United States in 2020 and telemedicine availability rose sharply, gaps in access disappeared for Black patients at Penn Medicine, new research shows. And even once "normal" in-office appointments returned, the historic inequities stayed erased, indicating that telemedicine wasn't just a stopgap solution but a potential long-term tool for equity. These findings, from researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, were published in Telemedicine and e-Health.