Telehealth Utilization Among Hispanic Group During COVID-19: A Retrospective Observational Study (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The Hispanic community represents a sizeable community that experiences inequities in the United States healthcare system. As the system has moved toward digital health platforms, it is critical that evaluate the potential impact for Hispanic communities OBJECTIVE The study aimed to investigate demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral factors that contribute to low telehealth utilization in Hispanic communities. METHODS A retrospective observation study design was employed to examine the study objectives. The COVID-19 Research Database Consortium provided the AnalyticsIQ Peoplecore Consumer data and Office Alley claims data. The study period was from March 2020 to April 2021. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the odds of using telehealth services. RESULTS We examined 3,478,287 unique Hispanic patients, of whom 16.63% used telehealth. Results suggested that patients aged 18-44 were more likely to use telehealth [OR: 1.07 (C.I.: 1.05, 1.1); p CONCLUSIONS To prevent exacerbation of the health inequities in telehealth, we recommend interventions to bolster education, income, employment, and health behaviors. We make the following recommendations: increase access to health insurance and primary care providers and provide fiscal and educational resources.