Telehealth use and COVID-19: Assessing older veterans’ perspectives.
Anne L. Weldon, Lauren Hagemann
Abstract
= 66) reported moderate levels of satisfaction with VT and telephone appointments, there was less interest in using telehealth exclusively postpandemic. Fewer telephone users reported having access to email and internet and greater barriers to using VT. Veteran rurality was not associated with access to internet or email and did not affect telehealth ratings. Analyses of treatment engagement showed that the rate of missed appointments did not change during COVID-19. Post hoc qualitative analysis of open-ended comments revealed themes of barriers and needs, as well as positive and negative telehealth experiences that were consistent with quantitative findings. Despite experiencing barriers to using VT, older veterans identified potential benefits and solutions to enhance participation across the older adult population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).