1. Supporting Retention in HIV Care: Comparing In-Person and Telehealth Visits in a Chicago-Based Infectious Disease Clinic
- Author
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Arianna I. Boshara, Megan E. Patton, Bijou R. Hunt, Nancy Glick, and Amy K. Johnson
- Subjects
Adult ,Chicago ,Male ,Original Paper ,Social Psychology ,education ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,COVID-19 ,HIV ,HIV Infections ,Telemedicine ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Telehealth ,Infectious Diseases ,Adherence ,Humans ,Pandemics ,health care economics and organizations - Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has created increased need for telehealth appointments. To assess differences in appointment adherence for telehealth compared to in-person HIV medical care visits, we conducted a cross-sectional study of patients receiving HIV care in a safety-net hospital-based outpatient infectious disease clinic in a large urban area (Chicago, IL). The sample (N = 347) was predominantly Black (n = 251) and male (62.5%, n = 217); with a mean age of 44.2 years. Appointment attendance was higher for telehealth (78.9%) compared to in-person (61.9%) appointments. Compared to patients without drug use, those with drug use had 19.4 percentage point lower in-person appointment attendance. Compared to those with stable housing, those in unstable housing arrangements had 15.0 percentage point lower in-person appointment attendance. Telehealth as a modality will likely have some staying power as it offers patients newfound flexibility, but barriers to telehealth need to be assessed and addressed.
- Published
- 2022
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