Care Disparities News and Resources for Healthcare

Models adjusting for geography show racial gaps in telehealth use

March 27, 2024 - Racial minority groups received more telehealth visits per capita during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, after controlling for geographic region and other factors, a new study shows that these groups received fewer telehealth visits than their White peers. Published in JAMA Health Forum, the study aims to provide clarity regarding the opposing...

How ChristianaCare’s digital cardiac care program is closing racial gaps

March 25, 2024 by Anuja Vaidya

Healthcare organizations recognize that health inequities are detrimental to much-needed progress in clinical outcomes and care access nationwide. However, there is little agreement on how best to eliminate these inequities. Though virtual...

Amid Rise in Hypertension-Related Telehealth, Racial Gaps Persist

February 06, 2024 by Anuja Vaidya

Medicaid beneficiaries across racial and ethnic groups increased their use of telehealth to manage hypertension during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the increase in use was lower among Black patients than...

State AGs Urge FDA Action on Race-Related Pulse Oximeter Inaccuracies

November 13, 2023 by Anuja Vaidya

A group of state attorneys general (AGs) has sent a letter to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging the agency to address the issue of pulse oximeter inaccuracies when used on...

Telehealth Reduces Psychotherapy Disruption, Boosting Care Continuity

October 17, 2023 by Anuja Vaidya

The shift to telebehavioral healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic is linked to fewer disruptions in psychotherapy services, indicating telehealth can be effective in supporting the continuity of...

Hybrid Care Could Help Curb Disparities in Healthcare Utilization

September 19, 2023 by Anuja Vaidya

A new study revealed fewer differences in healthcare utilization by race and ethnicity and preferred language when a mix of virtual and in-person care options was available to patients versus when only...

Black Women are Open to Mental Health Services Via Mobile Technology

August 08, 2023 by Mark Melchionna

Using survey data on patient attitudes toward mental health services and depression screening, a new study indicated that Black American Women are comfortable with using voice or video calls to...

Despite an Increase in Telemental Health, Disparities Remain

June 13, 2023 by Mark Melchionna

Pandemic-era flexibilities expanded access to telemental healthcare services, but a new RAND Corporation study, obtained via email, showed that racial health disparities still persisted. Particularly,...

Low-Income, Racial Minorities More Likely to Use Telehealth

May 30, 2023 by Mark Melchionna

Published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, study findings indicate that certain demographic factors correlate with telehealth use, with low-income Hispanic and Asian patients being more...

Pilot Program Targets Maternal Health Disparities Using Virtual Tracking

April 24, 2023 by Mark Melchionna

A new pilot program from Aetna Better of Maryland and Mae is looking to eliminate maternal health disparities through doula support and engagement tools. According to Gayle Jordan-Randolph, MD, Chief...

Racial Disparities Uncovered in Pediatric Pulse Oximetry Readings

March 23, 2023 by Mark Melchionna

In determining the accuracy associated with pulse oximetry readings for children, Black patients were found to be more likely to receive false indications of hypoxemia or lack thereof, according to new...

Virtual Care Startups Receive Funding, Payer Partnership Opportunities

March 22, 2023 by Mark Melchionna

The UCSF Rosenman Institute has selected virtual care startups Welfie and Moving Analytics as awardees of the 2022 UCSF Rosenman ADAPT Program (ADAPT), providing them with funding and allowing them to...

COVID-19 Pandemic Led to Telehealth Divides Among VA Beneficiaries

March 13, 2023 by Mark Melchionna

A recent study published in JAMA Network Open showed that telehealth use for primary and integrated mental health visits varied widely among rural and urban Veterans Affairs (VA) beneficiaries,...

Telehealth Boosts Postpartum Visit Attendance Among Black Patients

February 13, 2023 by Anuja Vaidya

Offering telehealth options for postpartum care helped cut racial disparities in visit attendance, according to a study. Published in the February issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and...

Telehealth Improved Pre-Pandemic Cancer Care Availability in US

February 10, 2023 by Mark Melchionna

Recent research shows that equitable cancer care access and delivery benefited highly from telehealth before the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),...

Race, Age, Language Barriers Fuel Telehealth Delivery Disparities

January 26, 2023 by Mark Melchionna

The UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute conducted a study that shows healthcare disparities linked to telehealth use during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted from race, age, language, and technology...

Telehealth Requires Efforts to Improve Access to Reach Full Potential

November 29, 2022 by Mark Melchionna

Regions with limited healthcare resources may not benefit from telehealth expansion, prompting the need for efforts to improve access, a new JAMA Network Open study finds. Throughout the recent...

Remote Patient Monitoring Program Takes Aims at Diabetes Management

November 28, 2022 by Mark Melchionna

In collaboration with the University of Mississippi Medical Center, the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) Department of Family and Community Medicine Vice Chair for Research worked to create a...

Viewpoint: Telehealth Disparities Exist Among Visually Impaired Populations

September 19, 2022 by Mark Melchionna

A new piece published in Health Affairs explained that despite the massive expansion in virtual care, telehealth disparities remain among those with visual impairments (VI), and solutions that can help...

Continuous Telehealth Guidance is Needed to Transform Healthcare

August 18, 2022 by Mark Melchionna

A July report from The Brookings Institute, The Roadmap to Telehealth Efficacy: Care, Health, and Digital Equities, stated that continuous telehealth guidance along with healthcare flexibilities are...

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