Primary care telehealth in a dynamic healthcare environment from digital divide to healthcare outcomes

Abstract

With expanded telehealth availability in primary care, its impact on quality of care and associated costs remains debated. Analyzing 199,829 Medicare beneficiaries in Mississippi (2019–2021), we found telehealth utilization associated with significant sociodemographic disparities, reduced inpatient admissions, and lower 30-day readmissions. By accounting for primary care utilization, our findings suggest that the higher absolute costs observed among telehealth users may reflect underlying healthcare needs rather than telehealth utilization.