Impact of Telehealth Use on Delayed Care Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

We aimed to assess the association between telehealth use and delayed care among older adults during the pandemic. Using a nationally representative sample (N = 2,196) from the National Health and Aging Trends Study, we applied a multivariable logistic regression model to assess the association between telehealth use and delayed care. The proportion of first-time telehealth users (i.e., did not use telehealth before the pandemic) was higher among those with than without delayed care (22.8% vs 16.5%, p < .01), while the opposite was found for continued telehealth users (i.e., used telehealth both before and during the pandemic; 3.0% vs 5.9%, p < .01). Compared to those who never used telehealth before or during the pandemic, continued telehealth users experienced less delayed care (adjusted proportion ratio was 0.63; 95% CI: 0.36, 0.89; and the adjusted proportion difference was –16.1%; 95% CI: –28.5%, –3.8%). Telehealth has the potential to mitigate delays in healthcare access during the pandemic but also reflect existing disparities in healthcare access. Continued telehealth use was associated with decreased risk of care delays during the pandemic. Further longitudinal studies examining the impact of telehealth use among older adults are warranted.