Barriers and facilitators to physicians’ telemedicine uptake during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic

Despite decades of low utilization, telemedicine adoption expanded at an unprecedented rate during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined quantitative and qualitative data provided by a national online sample of 228 practicing physicians (64% were women, and 75% were White) to identify facilitators and barriers to the adoption of telemedicine in the United States (U.S.) at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Logistic regressions were used to predict the most frequently endorsed (20% or more) barriers and facilitators based on participant demographics and practice characteristics. The top five reported barriers were: lack of patient access to technology (77.6%), insufficient insurance reimbursement (53.5%), diminished doctor-patient relationship (46.9%), inadequate video/audio technology (46.1%), and diminished quality of delivered care (42.1%). The top five reported facilitators were: better access to care (75.4%), increased safety (70.6%), efficient use of time (60.5%), lower cost for patients (43%), and effectiveness (28.9%). Physicians' demographic and practice setting characteristics significantly predicted their endorsement of telemedicine barriers and facilitators. Older physicians were less likely to endorse inefficient use of time (p < 0.001) and potential for medical errors (p = 0.034) as barriers to telemedicine use compared to younger physicians. Physicians working in a medical center were more likely to endorse inadequate video/audio technology (p = 0.037) and lack of patient access to technology (p = 0.035) as a barrier and more likely to endorse lower cost for patients as a facilitator (p = 0.041) than providers working in other settings. Male physicians were more likely to endorse inefficient use of time as a barrier (p = 0.007) than female physicians, and White physicians were less likely to endorse lower costs for patients as a facilitator (p = 0.012) than physicians of color. These findings provide important context for future implementation strategies for healthcare systems attempting to increase telemedicine utilization.