CDC: Children with Chronic Conditions More Likely to Use Telehealth

In the second half of 2020, only 14.1 percent of children used telehealth due to the pandemic, but use was higher among those with asthma, a developmental condition, or a disability, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found.

To assess telehealth's impact on the pediatric population, the CDC conducted a study that examined the frequency of use and the types of cases that most often appeared in virtual settings.

Using information from a National Health Interview Survey, which included data from July to December 2020, the CDC studied whether a child participated in a visit through audio or video platforms and if the virtual visit occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In total, about 12.6 million children, or 17.5 percent, used telehealth in the past 12 months, which included a period before the coronavirus pandemic. Approximately 10.2 million children, or 14.1 percent, used telehealth due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the data showed.

Researchers stated that corresponding factors related to telehealth use were chronic conditions, parents' education level, income, and living locations.

About 23.5 percent of children with asthma used telehealth because of the pandemic compared with 13.6 percent of those without asthma. Similarly, 32.5 percent and 29.8 percent of children with a current developmental condition and a disability, respectively, used telemedicine due to the pandemic. This was significantly higher than the 11.1 percent of children without a developmental condition and 11.4 without a disability who used telehealth in the same period.

The use of telehealth was the most frequent among children with family incomes below the federal poverty level, at 20.5 percent. Children with parents who had higher than a high school education were also more likely to participate in telehealth, at 18.3 percent, versus those whose parents only had a general equivalency diploma, at 15.4 percent.

Researchers also found that large metropolitan areas contained the most telehealth users, with 18.6 percent, compared with 13.1 percent of users living in nonmetropolitan areas.

The limitations of the study mainly include the potential for bias, lack of information regarding the number of appointments, and the quality of care.

However, the nationally representative estimates of telemedicine use in children provided by the study serve as a strength, providing a valuable resource for determining the next steps for national programs and identifying the regions that could benefit most from telehealth.

Various previous studies have also evaluated the use of telehealth among pediatric populations.

In April, a study published in JAMA Network Open found that the pediatric subspecialties that frequently used telehealth were those related to genetics and behavioral health, and use rates ranged from 38.8 percent to 73 percent. Researchers also noted that Hispanic patients and those who did not speak English as a primary language used telehealth less.

Another study from September 2021 discussed the potential for telehealth to enhance care for children with chronic conditions. Researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston reported that telehealth could result in a 99 percent reduction in the likelihood of hospital visits and a 95 percent decline in the risk of serious illness among children with complex conditions.