Patient and Provider Factors Associated With Successfully Addressing Medical Needs Using Telehealth: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Abstract

Few data exist that highlight areas where telemedicine shines or struggles from the patient perspective. We conducted a retrospective analysis of patient experience data from 19,465 visits using a logistic regression to model the odds a virtual visit addressed a patient's medical needs. Patient age (80 years: OR 0.58; 95% CI, 0.50-0.67 vs 40-64 years), race (Black: 0.68; 95% CI, 0.60-0.76 vs White), and connection (telephone conversion: OR 0.59; 95% CI, 0.53-0.66 vs video success) were associated with a lower likelihood of addressing medical needs; results varied modestly across specialties. These data suggest that while telehealth is generally well accepted by patients, differences are seen among patient factors and specialty.