PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Westby, Andrea
AU  - Nissly, Tanner
AU  - Gieseker, Rebecca
AU  - Timmins, Kaleigh
AU  - Justesen, Kathryn
TI  - Achieving Equity in Telehealth: “Centering at the Margins” in Access, Provision, and Reimbursement
AID  - 10.3122/jabfm.2021.S1.200280
DP  - 2021 Feb 01
TA  - The Journal of the American Board of Family
                Medicine
PG  - S29--S32
VI  - 34
IP  - Supplement
4099  - http://www.jabfm.org/content/34/Supplement/S29.short
4100  - http://www.jabfm.org/content/34/Supplement/S29.full
SO  - J Am Board Fam Med2021 Feb 01; 34
AB  - The SARS-CoV-2 epidemic has led to rapid transformation of health care delivery and access with increased provision of telehealth services despite previously identified barriers and limitations to this care. While telehealth was initially envisioned to increase equitable access to care for under-resourced populations, the way in which telehealth provision is designed and implemented may result in worsening disparities if not thoughtfully done. This commentary seeks to demonstrate the opportunities for telehealth equity based on past research, recent developments, and a recent patient experience case example highlighting benefits of telehealth care in underserved patient populations. Recommendations to improve equity in telehealth provision include improved virtual visit technology with a focus on patient ease of use, strategies to increase access to video visit equipment, universal broadband wireless, and inclusion of telephone visits in CMS reimbursement criteria for telehealth.