Experiences of care delays and telehealth use during the COVID-19 pandemic among socioeconomically diverse cardiovascular patients and clinicians in an urban hospital

Abstract

An understanding of care delays and telehealth experiences during the pandemic among vulnerable patients, such as those with cardiac disease, is needed to inform future telehealth policy. We conducted a cross-sectional survey study with socioeconomically diverse cardiac patients (n=28) and clinicians (n=26). Most patients (89%) preferred to receive some or all of their care in-person during the pandemic and endorsed the lack of in-person visits as the top facilitator to telehealth use. Significantly more clinicians perceived high ease of use of video visits compared to patients (82% vs. 44%). Significantly more patients perceived high ease of learning to use (69% vs. 18%) and using (69% vs. 27%) remote monitoring compared to clinicians. Results suggest that patients are more open to receiving in-person care during the pandemic than clinicians recognize and may need greater support surrounding video visits when in-person care is not feasible or safe.

Figure 1:

Patient perceptions of risk of COVID-19 (n=28)

Figure 2:

Clinicians’ perceptions of the proportion of patients who have avoided or delayed different types of care due to fear of COVID-19 (n=26)

Figure 3:

Patient preferences for care during the pandemic (n=28)