DTC Telehealth Ups Patient Access to Care in Natural Disasters

This article reviews findings from the 2018 Uscher-Pines study that looked at telemedicine use by individuals affected by hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Notably, diagnosis codes for the first 7 days of the study were consistent with those for the remaining study days—31% of patients presented with acute respiratory issues, while 8% had rash and dry skin concerns. In addition, researchers found that 63% of patients were new telemedicine users, and that most accessed the service between days 3 and 6 post-disaster.