10.18130/GBBZ-MB17
O'Brien, Rachel
Rachel
O'Brien
University of Virginia
Telemedicine at the Charlottesville Free Clinic - A Qualitative Study of a Natural Experiment
University of Virginia
2022
Conference Paper
2022 UVA Health Disparities Conference
2022
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY)
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, essentially all in-person visits at the Charlottesville Free Clinic (CFC) were stopped and telemedicine appointments were offered instead, a care delivery model never before implemented at CFC. This complete switch offered an opportunity to study the impact of telemedicine on the care of the unique free clinic population. We conducted a small-scale qualitative study through semi-structured interviews with both CFC patients and providers. Our study aimed to explore each individual’s perspective on their telemedicine experience and elucidate the benefits and drawbacks of this care delivery model in this specific population. The interviews were coded and analyzed for themes using qualitative research software. Our results demonstrate that telemedicine offers significant benefit for many CFC patients, most notably due to the reduced time requirement and increased convenience compared with in-person visits. Challenges in interpersonal communication and the inability to perform a physical exam were the most common drawbacks for both patients and providers. Additionally, providers reported the lack of in-person professional interactions with other clinic personnel as a downfall of telemedicine. Overall, about half the patients interviewed shared very positive feedback on their telemedicine experience, with the majority indicating a preference to continue at least some visits via telemedicine including medication refills and quick follow up appointments. Our results demonstrate the switch to telemedicine had both positive and negative impacts on patients and providers at CFC; however, the benefits of telemedicine are particularly significant in this patient population with unique socioeconomic challenges.