Using Telehealth to Deliver Primary Care to Adolescents During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: National Survey Study of US Primary Care Professionals.

Melissa B Gilkey,Noel T Brewer,Wei Yi Kong,Peyton Thompson,Qian Huang,Brigid K Grabert

doi:10.2196/31240

Melissa B Gilkey, Noel T Brewer + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.2196/31240

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Abstract

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented use of telehealth, including by primary care professionals (PCPs) who serve adolescents.ObjectiveTo inform future practice and policies, we sought to characterize PCPs’ recent experience using adolescent telehealth as well as their support for it after the COVID-19 pandemic is over.MethodsFrom February to March 2021, we conducted a web-based survey of 1047 PCPs in the United States. Our national sample included physicians (747/1047, 71%), advanced practice providers (177/1047, 17%), and nurses (123/1047, 12%) who provided primary care to adolescents aged 11-17 years.ResultsMost PCPs reported using telehealth for a low, moderate, or high proportion of their adolescent patients in the three months prior to the survey (424/1047, 40%, 286/1047, 27%, and 219/1047, 21%, respectively); only 11% (118/1047) reported no use. A majority of respondents agreed that adolescent telehealth increases access to care (720/1047, 69%) and enables them to provide high-quality care (560/1047, 53%). Few believed that adolescent telehealth takes too much time (142/1047, 14%) or encourages health care overuse (157/1047, 15%). Most supported giving families the option of adolescent telehealth for primary care after the pandemic is over (683/1047, 65%) and believed that health insurance plans should continue to reimburse for telehealth visits (863/1047, 82%). Approximately two-thirds (702/1047, 67%) wanted to offer adolescent telehealth visits after the pandemic, with intentions being higher among those with recent telehealth experience (P<.001).ConclusionsPCPs in our national sample reported widespread use of and predominantly positive attitudes toward adolescent telehealth. Our findings also suggest broad support among PCPs for continuing to offer adolescent telehealth after the COVID-19 pandemic ends.

Highlights

The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly transformed health care delivery in the United States; for the first time, telehealth is playing a central role in the delivery of primary care for adolescents
The findings of our national study suggest that adolescent telehealth has achieved widespread adoption in the year since the COVID-19 pandemic began, with most primary care professionals (PCPs) in our national study reporting that they used adolescent telehealth and wanted to keep using it
PCPs indicated broad support for adolescent telehealth after the pandemic is over, with approximately two-thirds wanting to offer such visits themselves. This support suggests a pressing need to build on the strengths, address the challenges, and evaluate the quality of adolescent telehealth to ensure it remains a viable option for primary care delivery in the postpandemic era

Summary

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly transformed health care delivery in the United States; for the first time, telehealth is playing a central role in the delivery of primary care for adolescents. To our knowledge, no published national studies have explored the experience of primary care professionals (PCPs) in delivering care to adolescents in the ensuing period, during which telehealth has presumably become a standard offering for many. To address this gap, we surveyed a national sample of PCPs. Our aims were to characterize PCPs’ recent adolescent telehealth use and attitudes as well as their support for continuing to offer adolescent telehealth after the COVID-19 pandemic is over. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented use of telehealth, including by primary care professionals (PCPs) who serve adolescents

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