Skip to main content

Main menu

  • HOME
  • ARTICLES
    • Current Issue
    • Ahead of Print
    • Archives
    • Abstracts In Press
    • Special Issue Archive
    • Subject Collections
  • INFO FOR
    • Authors
    • Reviewers
    • Call For Papers
    • Subscribers
    • Advertisers
  • SUBMIT
    • Manuscript
    • Peer Review
  • ABOUT
    • The JABFM
    • The Editing Fellowship
    • Editorial Board
    • Indexing
    • Editors' Blog
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • Other Publications
    • abfm

User menu

  • Log out

Search

  • Advanced search
American Board of Family Medicine
  • Other Publications
    • abfm
  • Log out
American Board of Family Medicine

American Board of Family Medicine

Advanced Search

  • HOME
  • ARTICLES
    • Current Issue
    • Ahead of Print
    • Archives
    • Abstracts In Press
    • Special Issue Archive
    • Subject Collections
  • INFO FOR
    • Authors
    • Reviewers
    • Call For Papers
    • Subscribers
    • Advertisers
  • SUBMIT
    • Manuscript
    • Peer Review
  • ABOUT
    • The JABFM
    • The Editing Fellowship
    • Editorial Board
    • Indexing
    • Editors' Blog
  • CLASSIFIEDS
  • JABFM on Bluesky
  • JABFM On Facebook
  • JABFM On Twitter
  • JABFM On YouTube
Research ArticleOriginal Research

Telephone vs. Video Visits During COVID-19: Safety-Net Provider Perspectives

Ji Eun Chang, Zoe Lindenfeld, Stephanie L. Albert, Rachel Massar, Donna Shelley, Lorraine Kwok, Kayla Fennelly and Carolyn A. Berry
The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine November 2021, 34 (6) 1103-1114; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3122/jabfm.2021.06.210186
Ji Eun Chang
From the Department of Public Health Policy and Management, New York University School of Global Public Health (JEC, ZL, DS); Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine (SLA, RM, LK, KF, CAB).
PhD
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Zoe Lindenfeld
From the Department of Public Health Policy and Management, New York University School of Global Public Health (JEC, ZL, DS); Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine (SLA, RM, LK, KF, CAB).
BS
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Stephanie L. Albert
From the Department of Public Health Policy and Management, New York University School of Global Public Health (JEC, ZL, DS); Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine (SLA, RM, LK, KF, CAB).
PhD
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Rachel Massar
From the Department of Public Health Policy and Management, New York University School of Global Public Health (JEC, ZL, DS); Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine (SLA, RM, LK, KF, CAB).
MPH
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Donna Shelley
From the Department of Public Health Policy and Management, New York University School of Global Public Health (JEC, ZL, DS); Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine (SLA, RM, LK, KF, CAB).
MD, MPH
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Lorraine Kwok
From the Department of Public Health Policy and Management, New York University School of Global Public Health (JEC, ZL, DS); Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine (SLA, RM, LK, KF, CAB).
MPH
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Kayla Fennelly
From the Department of Public Health Policy and Management, New York University School of Global Public Health (JEC, ZL, DS); Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine (SLA, RM, LK, KF, CAB).
BS
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Carolyn A. Berry
From the Department of Public Health Policy and Management, New York University School of Global Public Health (JEC, ZL, DS); Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine (SLA, RM, LK, KF, CAB).
PhD
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • References
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading

Abstract

Objective: To review the frequency as well as the pros and cons of telephone and video-enabled telemedicine during the first 9 months of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as experienced by safety net providers across New York State (NYS).

Methods: Analysis of visits to 36 community health centers (CHCs) in NYS by modality (telephone vs video) from February to November 2020. Semi-structured interviews with 25 primary care, behavioral health, and pediatric providers from 8 CHCs.

Findings: In the week following the NYS stay-at-home order, video and telephone visits rose from 3.4 and 0% of total visits to 14.9 and 22.3%. At its peak, more than 60% of visits were conducted via telemedicine (April 2020) before tapering off to about 30% of visits (August 2020). Providers expressed a strong preference for video visits, particularly for situations when visual assessments were needed. Yet, more visits were conducted over telephone than video at all points throughout the pandemic. Video-specific advantages included enhanced ability to engage patients and use of visual cues to get a comprehensive look into the patient's life, including social supports, hygiene, and medication adherence. Telephone presented unique benefits, including greater privacy, feasibility, and ease of use that make it critical to engage with key populations and as a backup for when video was not an option.

Conclusions: Despite challenges, providers reported positive experiences delivering care remotely using both telephone and video during the COVID-19 pandemic and believe both modalities are critical for enabling access to care in the safety net.

  • Community Health Centers
  • COVID-19
  • Health Equity
  • New York
  • Safety-Net Providers
  • Telemedicine
View Full Text
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

The Journal of the American Board of Family   Medicine: 34 (6)
The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
Vol. 34, Issue 6
November/December 2021
  • Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents (PDF)
  • Cover (PDF)
  • Index by author
  • Back Matter (PDF)
  • Front Matter (PDF)
Print
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on American Board of Family Medicine.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Telephone vs. Video Visits During COVID-19: Safety-Net Provider Perspectives
(Your Name) has sent you a message from American Board of Family Medicine
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the American Board of Family Medicine web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
1 + 18 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.
Citation Tools
Telephone vs. Video Visits During COVID-19: Safety-Net Provider Perspectives
Ji Eun Chang, Zoe Lindenfeld, Stephanie L. Albert, Rachel Massar, Donna Shelley, Lorraine Kwok, Kayla Fennelly, Carolyn A. Berry
The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine Nov 2021, 34 (6) 1103-1114; DOI: 10.3122/jabfm.2021.06.210186

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Share
Telephone vs. Video Visits During COVID-19: Safety-Net Provider Perspectives
Ji Eun Chang, Zoe Lindenfeld, Stephanie L. Albert, Rachel Massar, Donna Shelley, Lorraine Kwok, Kayla Fennelly, Carolyn A. Berry
The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine Nov 2021, 34 (6) 1103-1114; DOI: 10.3122/jabfm.2021.06.210186
Twitter logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
    • Abstract
    • Introduction
    • Methods
    • Findings
    • Discussion
    • Acknowledgments
    • Notes
    • References
  • Figures & Data
  • References
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF

Related Articles

  • No related articles found.
  • PubMed
  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • Impact of billing policy changes on telehealth use in Ontario: a population-based repeated cross-sectional study
  • Reasons for encounter in video contacts at a Danish out-of-hours primary care service: a questionnaire study
  • Telemedicine Adoption During COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives from Primary Care Clinicians in Safety-Net Settings
  • The Most Frequently Read Articles of 2021
  • Research on the Issues Family Physicians Face Today: Controlled Substances, COVID-19, Hypertension, and "Slow Medicine," Among Many More Topics
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • Integrating Adverse Childhood Experiences and Social Risks Screening in Adult Primary Care
  • A Pilot Comparison of Clinical Data Collection Methods Using Paper, Electronic Health Record Prompt, and a Smartphone Application
  • Associations Between Modifiable Preconception Care Indicators and Pregnancy Outcomes
Show more Original Research

Similar Articles

Keywords

  • Community Health Centers
  • COVID-19
  • Health Equity
  • New York
  • Safety-Net Providers
  • Telemedicine

Navigate

  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues

Authors & Reviewers

  • Info For Authors
  • Info For Reviewers
  • Submit A Manuscript/Review

Other Services

  • Get Email Alerts
  • Classifieds
  • Reprints and Permissions

Other Resources

  • Forms
  • Contact Us
  • ABFM News

© 2025 American Board of Family Medicine

Powered by HighWire