Table 1 Baseline sociodemographic characteristics and primary care utilization of all study participants

From: Primary care telehealth in a dynamic healthcare environment from digital divide to healthcare outcomes

 

TH participants, No. (%) (n = 73,252)

Non-TH participants, No. (%) (n = 126,577)

Odds ratio (95% CI)

P value

Sociodemographic characteristics

 Age group, yr

   

<0.001

  < 55

7825 (10.68)

9476 (7.49)

Ref

 

  55–64

7560 (10.32)

9772 (7.72)

0.94 (0.90, 0.98)

 

  65–74

33,918 (46.30)

61,328 (48.45)

0.67 (0.65, 0.69)

 

  75–84

18,851 (25.73)

36,137 (28.55)

0.63 (0.61, 0.65)

 

  ≥ 85

5098 (6.96)

9864 (7.79)

0.63 (0.60, 0.66)

 

 Sex

   

<0.001

  Male

28,066 (38.31)

52,751 (41.68)

Ref

 

  Female

45,186 (61.69)

73,826 (58.32)

1.15 (1.13, 1.17)

 

 Race

   

<0.001

  White

56,473 (77.73)

95,862 (76.33)

Ref

 

  Black

15,680 (21.58)

28,679 (22.84)

0.93 (0.91, 0.95)

 

  Other

501 (0.69)

1043 (0.83)

0.82 (0.73, 0.91)

 

 Original reason for entitlement

   

<0.001

  OASI

47,396 (64.70)

91,751 (72.49)

Ref

 

  DIB

25,856 (35.30)

34,826 (27.51)

1.44 (1.41, 1.47)

 

 Medicare-Medicaid dual enrollee

21,165 (28.89)

34,025 (26.88)

1.11 (1.08, 1.13)

<0.001

 Rurality

42,472 (57.98)

87,058 (68.78)

0.63 (0.62, 0.64)

<0.001

 HPSA designated

13,424 (18.33)

24,017 (18.97)

0.96 (0.94, 0.98)

<0.001

 CCI, mean (SD)

2.52 (2.60)

1.85 (2.25)

1.12 (1.12, 1.12)

<0.001

Primary Care Utilization

 Bice-Boxerman COCI, mean (SD)

0.40 (0.29)

0.37 (0.32)

1.33 (1.30, 1.37)

<0.001

 Number of primary care visits, mean (SD)

12.14 (8.39)

7.49 (6.39)

1.09 (1.09, 1.10)

<0.001

 Access to provider types

  Primary care physician

54,630 (74.58)

77,054 (60.88)

1.89 (1.85, 1.92)

<0.001

  Nonphysician Practitioner

53,077 (72.46)

68,945 (54.47)

2.20 (2.16, 2.24)

<0.001

  Medical specialist

52,465 (71.62)

70,027 (55.32)

2.04 (2.00, 2.08)

<0.001

  Surgeon

42,739 (58.35)

61,496 (48.58)

1.48 (1.46, 1.51)

<0.001

  Other physicians

20,094 (27.43)

25,704 (20.31)

1.48 (1.45, 1.52)

<0.001

 Proportion of services provided, mean (SD)

  Primary care physician

0.29 (0.27)

0.30 (0.32)

0.97 (0.94, 1.00)

<0.001

  Nonphysician Practitioner

0.27 (0.27)

0.22 (0.29)

1.80 (1.75, 1.86)

<0.001

  Medical specialist

0.23 (0.23)

0.21 (0.26)

1.52 (1.47, 1.58)

<0.001

  Surgeon

0.14 (0.17)

0.16 (0.23)

0.61 (0.58, 0.64)

<0.001

  Other physicians

0.05 (0.12)

0.06 (0.15)

0.82 (0.77, 0.88)

<0.001

  1. TH telehealth, CI confidence interval, SD standard deviation, OASI Old Age and Survivor’s Insurance, DIB Disability Insurance Benefits, HPSA Health Provider Shortage Area, CCI Charlson comorbidity index, COCI continuity of care index.
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