Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Doctor of Healthcare Administration (D.H.A.)

School

Health Services

Advisor

Nicole McGuire

Abstract

Telehealth became a prominent fixture in the way healthcare was delivered during COVID-19. Providers were forced to offer telehealth as an optional mode of care. Although little research was available, studies about the experiences and attitudes of providers regarding their intention and willingness to use telemedicine before the pandemic was exiguous. The purpose of this study was to understand providers perception and use behavior patterns regarding the acceptance and adoption of telemedicine during the pandemic. Data collected from the COVID-19 Healthcare Coalition Telehealth Impact Survey was used to help characterize the experiences and attitudes of providers regarding telehealth utilization during COVID-19. The unified theory of acceptance and use technology and the adaptive structuration theory were used to form the study’s theoretical framework. Findings showed the average age group with the highest adoption rate (35%) was age 51 to 64. Early adopters of telehealth were found to be mostly female (47%) and were of a white/Caucasian background (p=.014). The geographic location proved statistically significant as providers in the west region of the United States (p=.018) were more likely to adopt telehealth than in any other area, and 60.5% (962/1,594) indicated they had been doing so for 4 to 6 months (n=885) to deliver quality care during the pandemic. The modality of remote patient monitoring proved statistically significant (p = .009). Results indicated that sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics impacted providers’ willingness to implement telehealth. The most significant implication of this study’s findings was for positive social change regarding health equity and access to care among all populations to eliminate any existing health disparities for rural and underserved populations during COVID-19.

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