TY - JOUR
T1 - Telemedicine barriers and challenges for persons with disabilities
T2 - COVID-19 and beyond
AU - Annaswamy, Thiru M.
AU - Verduzco-Gutierrez, Monica
AU - Frieden, Lex
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020
PY - 2020/10
Y1 - 2020/10
N2 - The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a rapid adoption of telemedicine over traditional in-person visits due to social restrictions. While telemedicine improves access and reduces barriers to healthcare access for many, several barriers and challenges remain for persons with disabilities, and novel challenges have been exposed, many of which may persist long-term. The challenges and barriers that need to be systematically addressed include: Infrastructure and access barriers, operational challenges, regulatory barriers, communication barriers and legislative barriers. Persons with disabilities are a vulnerable population and little attention has been placed on their healthcare access during the pandemic. Access and communication during a healthcare encounter are important mediators of outcomes for persons with disabilities. Significant, long-term changes in technological, regulatory, and legislative infrastructure and custom solutions to unique patient and health system needs are required to address these barriers going forward in order to improve healthcare access and outcomes for persons with disabilities.
AB - The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a rapid adoption of telemedicine over traditional in-person visits due to social restrictions. While telemedicine improves access and reduces barriers to healthcare access for many, several barriers and challenges remain for persons with disabilities, and novel challenges have been exposed, many of which may persist long-term. The challenges and barriers that need to be systematically addressed include: Infrastructure and access barriers, operational challenges, regulatory barriers, communication barriers and legislative barriers. Persons with disabilities are a vulnerable population and little attention has been placed on their healthcare access during the pandemic. Access and communication during a healthcare encounter are important mediators of outcomes for persons with disabilities. Significant, long-term changes in technological, regulatory, and legislative infrastructure and custom solutions to unique patient and health system needs are required to address these barriers going forward in order to improve healthcare access and outcomes for persons with disabilities.
KW - Disability studies
KW - Health legislation
KW - Health services accessibility
KW - Telemedicine
KW - Telerehabilitation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85088090807&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1016/j.dhjo.2020.100973
DO - 10.1016/j.dhjo.2020.100973
M3 - Comment/debate
C2 - 32703737
AN - SCOPUS:85088090807
SN - 1936-6574
VL - 13
JO - Disability and Health Journal
JF - Disability and Health Journal
IS - 4
M1 - 100973
ER -