Using telehealth to deliver primary care to adolescents during and after the Covid-19 pandemic: Findings from a national survey of primary care professionals (Preprint)
BACKGROUND The Covid-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented use of telehealth, including among primary care professionals (PCPs) who serve adolescents. OBJECTIVE To inform future practice and policies, we sought to characterize PCPs’ recent experience using adolescent telehealth, as well as their support for it after the pandemic is over. METHODS In February-March 2021, we conducted an online survey of 1,047 PCPs in the US. Our national sample included physicians (71%), advanced practice providers (17%), and nurses (12%) who provided primary care to adolescents, ages 11-17. RESULTS Most PCPs reported using telehealth for a low, moderate, or high proportion of their adolescent patients in the three months prior to the survey (41%, 27%, and 21%, respectively); only 11% reported no use. A majority agreed that adolescent telehealth increases access to care (69%) and is a way they can provide high quality care (53%). Few believed adolescent telehealth takes too much time (14%) or encourages healthcare overuse (15%). Most supported giving families the option of adolescent telehealth for primary care after the pandemic is over (65%) and believed that health insurance plans should continue to reimburse for telehealth visits (82%). About two-thirds (67%) wanted to offer adolescent telehealth visits after the pandemic, with intentions being higher among those with recent telehealth experience (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS PCPs 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.