Male, Black, older, and non–English-speaking eye care patients and those with no more than a high school education were less likely to choose telemedical care over in-person visits during the COVID-19 pandemic, finds a retrospective study yesterday in JAMA Ophthalmology.Led by Johns Hopkins University researchers, the study analyzed health insurance claims data of 1,911 ophthalmologic and optometric patients with 2,262 telemedical visits at Massachusetts Eye and Ear from Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2020.
They then compared the data with statistics from 2019 and in-person visits.Patients either made telemedical appointments themselves or were offered them by their ophthalmologist in an effort to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a healthcare setting.