Abstract
The Rosalind Franklin Society (RFS), in partnership with Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers, enthusiastically congratulate our distinguished recipient of the 2023 annual
Omolola E. Adepoju, Patrick Dang, and Melissa R. Valdez, “Comparing In-Person Only, Telemedicine Only, and Hybrid Health Care Visits Among Older Adults in Safety-Net Clinics,” Telemedicine Reports 4, no. 1 (2023): 93–99, https://doi.org/10.1089/tmr.2023.0003.
Abstract
Introduction: Older adults face challenges in seeking health care. This study examined factors associated with in-person only versus telemedicine only versus hybrid health care visits among adults 65+ in safety-net clinics.
Methods: Data were obtained from a large Texas-based Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) network. The dataset included 12,279 appointments for 3914 unique older adults between March and November 2020. The outcome of interest was a 3-level indicator of telemedicine visits: in-person visits only, telemedicine visits only, and hybrid (in person + telemedicine) visits during the study period. We used a multinomial logit model adjusting for patient level characteristics to assess the strength of the relationships.
Results: Compared to their white counterparts, black and Hispanic older adults were significantly likely to have telemedicine only visits versus in-person only visits (black RRR: 0.59, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.41–0.86; Hispanic RRR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.36–0.60). However, there were no significant racial and ethnic differences in hybrid utilization (black RRR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.67–1.23; Hispanic RRR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.70–1.07).
Discussion: Our findings suggest that hybrid opportunities may bridge racial and ethnic disparities in access to care. Clinics should consider building capacity for both in-person and telemedicine opportunities as complementary strategies.
Biosketch
Omolola “Lola” Adepoju is a health services researcher, and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Houston, Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine. Her research focuses on improving access to, and utilization of healthcare services, among vulnerable groups. Over the past four years, she has collaborated extensively with Federally Qualified Health Centers, examining differential utilization patterns before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of digital health solutions, such as telemedicine, the contribution of lower literacy levels to poor access, and the impact of health-related social needs on care continuity patterns among patients, many of whom have multiple chronic diseases and are at risk for sub-optimal healthcare outcomes.
Adepoju earned a Bachelor of Science in physiotherapy from the University of Lagos, a master’s degree in public health from Emory University and a doctorate in health services research from Texas A&M University. She was a postdoctoral scholar at the Texas A&M Clinical Science and Translational Research Institute, which included work at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center’s Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety. Prior to joining University of Houston in 2020, Adepoju was associate director of health economics at UnitedHealth Group.