A UK study found persistent non-attendance of ophthalmic telemedicine appointments was associated with underserved populations.
Moorfields Eye Hospital researchers conducted an evaluation of 85,924 outpatients for non-attendance against sociodemographic, clinical and operational exposure variables for five consultation modes: asynchronous, synchronous telephone, synchronous audiovisual, face to face prior to the pandemic and face to face during the pandemic. They found male sex, greater levels of deprivation, a previously cancelled appointment and not self-reporting ethnicity were strongly associated with non-attendance across all delivery modes. Further, those not self-reporting their ethnicity were from more deprived backgrounds, had worse broadband internet access and had significantly higher non-attendance across all modes.
The study team concluded their results highlight the challenge digital transformation faces for reducing healthcare inequalities. They recommended programmes should be accompanied by investigation into the differential health outcomes of vulnerable populations.
For more, see https://tinyurl.com/2jrx6uht
