Navigating the cyberhealth divide: exploring the sociodemographic and interpersonal predictors of telehealth use and healthcare outcomes

Informed by the modified structural influence model, we conducted a secondary data analysis of the 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey 6 (HINTS 6; N = 6,046) to examine how satisfaction with internet quality, as an indicator of technological accessibility, may be associated with disparities in telehealth use and healthcare outcomes, including perceived quality of healthcare and delay of care. The moderating role of patient-centered communication (PCC) was also examined. Results showed that internet satisfaction positively predicted telehealth use. Telehealth use was not significantly associated with perceived quality of healthcare and was positively associated with delay of care. Additionally, PCC had a significant main effect on perceived quality of care. Our findings indicate that access to technology is an important determinant of telehealth use, highlighting that telehealth may not be a viable option for people with poor internet access. Results also indicate that the interpersonal component of PCC still plays a critical role in determining patients’ perceptions of healthcare quality.