Analyzing disparities in access to teledermatology compared with dermatology clinic visits before, during, and after COVID-19 quarantine

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant changes in dermatologic care, likely exacerbating health disparities for specific minority populations. The use of teledermatology has also become more prevalent during this period. The aim of this study was to determine if the proportion of teledermatology versus office-based visits varied significantly during three study periods of the COVID-19 pandemic. The secondary objective was to determine whether there are significant differences in the use of office-based dermatology versus teledermatology care across the following demographic subgroups: insurance type, race/ethnicity, age, and language during the same periods. A chart review of dermatology visits in electronic medical records at a tertiary referral center in Washington, DC, was conducted. The overall telehealth visit rate was 0% in the prequarantine period, 61.12% during the quarantine period, and 10.59% in the postquarantine period. After assessing telehealth utilization rates among the demographic subgroups, we noted that Medicaid users, Black patients, 64-year-olds or older, and English speakers may benefit the least from telehealth services. Teledermatology use necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic may have promoted health care disparities for specific marginalized populations.