Barriers and facilitators to physicians’ telemedicine uptake during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic
Jack D. Watson, Bridget Xia, Mia E. Dini, Alexandra L. Silverman, Bradford S. Pierce, Chi‐Ning Chang, Paul B. Perrin
Abstract
Despite decades of low utilization, telemedicine adoption expanded at an unprecedented rate during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined quantitative and qualitative data provided by a national online sample of 228 practicing physicians (64% were women, and 75% were White) to identify facilitators and barriers to the adoption of telemedicine in the United States (U.S.) at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Logistic regressions were used to predict the most frequently endorsed (20% or more) barriers and facilitators based on participant demographics and practice characteristics. The top five reported barriers were: lack of patient access to technology (77.6%), insufficient insurance reimbursement (53.5%), diminished doctor-patient relationship (46.9%), inadequate video/audio technology (46.1%), and diminished quality of delivered care (42.1%). The top five reported facilitators were: better access to care (75.4%), increased safety (70.6%), efficient use of time (60.5%), lower cost for patients (43%), and effectiveness (28.9%). Physicians' demographic and practice setting characteristics significantly predicted their endorsement of telemedicine barriers and facilitators. Older physicians were less likely to endorse inefficient use of time (p < 0.001) and potential for medical errors (p = 0.034) as barriers to telemedicine use compared to younger physicians. Physicians working in a medical center were more likely to endorse inadequate video/audio technology (p = 0.037) and lack of patient access to technology (p = 0.035) as a barrier and more likely to endorse lower cost for patients as a facilitator (p = 0.041) than providers working in other settings. Male physicians were more likely to endorse inefficient use of time as a barrier (p = 0.007) than female physicians, and White physicians were less likely to endorse lower costs for patients as a facilitator (p = 0.012) than physicians of color. These findings provide important context for future implementation strategies for healthcare systems attempting to increase telemedicine utilization.