Browsing by Author "Walsh, Conor"
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Item Open Access How can equitable video visit access be delivered in primary care? A qualitative study among rural primary care teams and patients(BMJ Open, 2022-08) Goldstein, Karen M; Perry, Kathleen R; Lewinski, Allison; Walsh, Conor; Shepherd-Banigan, Megan E; Bosworth, Hayden B; Weidenbacher, Hollis; Blalock, Dan V; Zullig, Leah LObjectiveThe COVID-19 pandemic sparked exponential growth in video visit use in primary care. The rapid shift to virtual from in-person care exacerbated digital access disparities across racial groups and rural populations. Moving forward, it is critical to understand when and how to incorporate video visits equitably into primary care. We sought to develop a novel clinical algorithm to guide primary care clinics on how and when to employ video visits as part of care delivery.DesignQualitative data collection: one team member conducted all patient semistructured interviews and led all focus groups with four other team members taking notes during groups.Setting3 rural primary care clinics in the USA.Participants24 black veterans living in rural areas and three primary care teams caring for black veterans living in rural areas.Primary and secondary outcome measuresFindings from semistructured interviews with patients and focus groups with primary care teams.ResultsKey issues around appropriate use of video visits for clinical teams included having adequate technical support, encouraging engagement during video visits and using video visits for appropriate clinical situations. Patients reported challenges with broadband access, inadequate equipment, concerns about the quality of video care, the importance of visit modality choice, and preferences for in-person care experience over virtual care. We developed an algorithm that requires input from both patients and their care team to assess fit for each clinical encounter.ConclusionsInformed matching of patients and clinical situations to the right visit modality, along with individual patient technology support could reduce virtual access disparities.Item Open Access Incorporating TechQuity in Virtual Care Within the Veterans Health Administration: Identifying Future Research and Operations Priorities.(Journal of general internal medicine, 2023-07) Walsh, Conor; Sullivan, Caitlin; Bosworth, Hayden B; Wilson, Sarah; Gierisch, Jennifer M; Goodwin, Kaitlyn B; Mccant, Felicia; Hoenig, Helen; Heyworth, Leonie; Zulman, Donna M; Turvey, Carolyn; Moy, Ernest; Lewinski, Allison ABackground
The Covid-19 pandemic dramatically changed healthcare delivery, driving rapid expansion of synchronous (i.e., real-time) audio-only and video telehealth, otherwise known as virtual care. Yet evidence describes significant inequities in virtual care utilization, with certain populations more dependent on audio-only virtual care than video-based care. Research is needed to inform virtual care policies and processes to counteract current inequities in access and health outcomes.Objective
Given the importance of incorporating equity into virtual care within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), we convened a Think Tank to identify priorities for future research and virtual care operations focused on achieving equitable implementation of virtual care within the VHA.Methods
We used participatory activities to engage clinicians, researchers, and operational partners from across the VHA to develop priorities for equitable implementation of virtual care. We refined priorities through group discussion and force-ranked prioritization and outlined next steps for selected priorities.Key results
Think Tank participants included 43 individuals from the VHA who represented diverse geographical regions, offices, and backgrounds. Attendees self-identified their associations primarily as operations (n = 9), research (n = 28), or both (n = 6). We identified an initial list of 63 potential priorities for future research and virtual care operations. Following discussion, we narrowed the list to four priority areas: (1) measure inequities in virtual care, (2) address emerging inequities in virtual care, (3) deploy virtual care equitably to accommodate differently abled veterans, and (4) measure and address potential adverse consequences of expanded virtual care. We discuss related information, data, key partners, and outline potential next steps.Conclusions
This Think Tank of research and operational partners from across the VHA identified promising opportunities to incorporate equity into the design and implementation of virtual care. Although much work remains, the priorities identified represent important steps toward achieving this vital goal.