Telehealth Perceptions Vary Among Black Veterans with Chronic Pain

Researchers from the Regenstrief Institute and the US Department of Veterans Affairs described telehealth perceptions among Black Veterans with chronic pain, which included both positive and negative experiences and views.

Studies involving analyses of telehealth experiences among Black patients often provide mixed results. In general, however, most research efforts take a more quantitative approach, relying solely on numbers to draw conclusions.

To study telehealth opinions and virtual care access among Black Veterans suffering from chronic pain during the COVID-19 pandemic, Regenstrief Institute and US Department of Veterans Affairs researchers Marianne Matthias, PhD, and Johanne Eliacin, PhD, conducted a qualitative interview process.

“In this study, we wanted to know our patients on a personal level and learn about their life experiences -- to hear how they manage their care from their own words, and to capture a level of detail and experiences that are not accessible using quantitative research methods,” said Eliacin, study senior author, core investigator at the VA, and an assistant research professor of medicine at IU University School of Medicine studying health disparities, in a press release. "There were several quantitative studies during the pandemic looking at access to care, but not very many qualitative studies, so the data collected is valuable when trying to understand the usefulness of telehealth among Black veterans.” 

The responses and feedback from these qualitative interviews were inconsistent. Researchers found that most study participants had negative experiences with telehealth due to disruptions in care, changes in healthcare access, and inadequate assessments of complaints. Further, participants described difficulties in self-managing chronic pain, seeing providers in person, and accessing nonpharmacological services.

On the contrary, many study participants had positive experiences with telehealth during the pandemic. A major benefit associated with telehealth was the convenience of access it provided, as patients described their willingness to accept telehealth in return for lack of exposure to COVID-19.

Researchers also noted that despite the extensive data from the interviews, the results of this study are not applicable to other populations. They also stated that determining the long-term effects of the shift to telehealth on Black patients with chronic pain would require further research.

Prior studies have also provided mixed results regarding the benefits of telehealth in treating Black patients.

Research conducted by the University of Houston College of Medicine in April 2022 described that, at the time, telehealth use was inconsistent across racial groups, largely due to the digital divide and healthcare disparities.

Researchers reached this conclusion after a review of 233,302 visits, 32 percent of which involved telehealth. The study showed that Black and Hispanic people were less likely to participate in virtual visits compared to White people.

However, another study from January 2022 indicated that telehealth improved access to follow-up care for Black patients. Researchers analyzed all scheduled follow-up appointments from five Penn Medicine hospitals between January 1, 2019, and April 30, 2021. They observed a higher increase in post-discharge follow-up appointments among Black patients than among White patients in the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.