Distance-stratified sociodemographic differences in telemedicine use in surgical oncology clinics at an academic medical center.

Journal: NPJ digital medicine

This study analyzed 38,883 surgical oncology visits (2021–2023) at a Northern California cancer center to evaluate how telemedicine use varies by patient characteristics and distance from the clinic.

Key findings:

  • Among patients living ≥20 miles from the cancer center:
    • Telemedicine use was lower for:
      • Hispanic patients (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.68–0.85)
      • Asian/Pacific Islander patients (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.66–0.84)
      • Patients requiring an interpreter (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.59–0.77)
      • Medicaid-insured patients (OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.76–0.96)
    • Telemedicine use was higher for low-income patients (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.46–1.91).
  • Among patients living <20 miles:
    • No significant differences in telemedicine use were seen for Hispanic, interpreter-needing, Medicaid, or low-income patients.
    • Asian/Pacific Islander patients had higher telemedicine use (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.04–1.30).

Overall, the study shows that geographic distance modifies inequities in telemedicine access in surgical oncology: distance amplifies disparities for certain racial/ethnic, language, and insurance groups, while low-income patients appear to benefit more when far from care.

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