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. 2022 Mar;41(3):600-609.
doi: 10.1177/07334648211047347. Epub 2021 Oct 5.

Telehealth Use Among Older Adults During COVID-19: Associations With Sociodemographic and Health Characteristics, Technology Device Ownership, and Technology Learning

Namkee G Choi  1 , Diana M DiNitto  1 , C Nathan Marti  1 , Bryan Y Choi  2
Affiliations

Telehealth Use Among Older Adults During COVID-19: Associations With Sociodemographic and Health Characteristics, Technology Device Ownership, and Technology Learning

Namkee G Choi et al. J Appl Gerontol. 2022 Mar.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in rapid telehealth/telemedicine adoption. In this study, we (1) examined rates and correlates of telehealth (video call) use among those aged 70+, and (2) tested the significance of access to information and communication technology (ICT) device ownership and knowledge of how to use the internet and devices as telehealth-enabling factors. The Behavioral Model of Health Services Use served as the conceptual framework, and data came from the COVID-19 supplemental survey of the National Health and Aging Trend Study. Results show that telehealth use increased to 21.1% from 4.6% pre-pandemic. In logistic regression models without technology-enabling factors, older age and lower income were negatively associated with telehealth use; however, when technology-enabling factors were included, they were significant while age and income were no longer significant. Insuring that older adults have ICT devices and internet access may reduce health disparities and improve telehealth care delivery.

Keywords: COVID-19; information and communication technology; low-income older adults; technology learning; telehealth.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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