Age and Racial Disparities in Telemedicine Utilization in an Academic Orthopedic Surgery Department

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted significant racial and age-related health disparities. In response to pandemic-related restrictions, orthopedic surgery departments have expanded telemedicine use. We analyzed data from a tertiary care institute during the pandemic to understand potential racial and age-based disparities in access to care and telemedicine utilization. Materials and Methods: Data on patient race and age, and numbers of telemedicine visits, in-person office visits, and types of telemedicine were extracted for time periods during and preceding the pandemic. We calculated odds ratios for visit occurrence and type across race and age groups. Results: Patients ages 27–54 were 1.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–1.4, p < 0.01) and 1.2 (95% CI 1.0–1.3, p < 0.05) times more likely to be seen than patients