Key result
Older age is linked to significantly lower digital healthcare use among hypertensive patients post-pandemic.
Why the study?
The study was conducted to assess differences in the accessibility of GP office visits, telephone contacts, and electronic communication for patients with hypertension before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Did the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to digital healthcare services impact primary care accessibility differently across age groups in patients with hypertension?
Cohort (n=22,260)
No
Did the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to digital healthcare services impact primary care accessibility differently across age groups in patients with hypertension?
The transition to digital healthcare delivery models during the COVID-19 pandemic created structural inequalities, specifically decreasing healthcare accessibility for older patients with hypertension.
Elderly hypertensives face widening digital access gaps; leaves open whether age-targeted strategies can equitably restore primary care access.
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Johansson et al. (2025) conducted a cohort in Hypertension (n=22,260). COVID-19 pandemic (and shift to digital health services) vs. Pre-pandemic period (2019) and younger patient demographics was evaluated on Accessibility and utilization of primary healthcare services (electronic communication, telephone contacts, and GP office visits) across age groups (p=<0.0001). Elderly patients with hypertension used electronic communication significantly less than younger patients (p<0.0001), a disparity that widened during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
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