Telemedicine expanded access to surgical care during COVID-19 pandemic, but disparities remain

This post was originally published on this site

Original post: Newswise - Drug and Drug Abuse Telemedicine expanded access to surgical care during COVID-19 pandemic, but disparities remain

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the health care delivery landscape and shifted the ways in which patients access health care. Digital literacy, access to technology, and the ability to effectively communicate with providers virtually have become critical indicators of social determinants of health. Now, to add to our understanding, Boston-area researchers have investigated demographic disparities in the use of virtual consultation compared with in-person surgical consultation after the initial COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Their findings appear in an article–among the first of its kind–published online by the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.