1. Assessing Telemental Health Uptake and Associated Health Care Resource Implications among Mississippi Medicaid Enrollees with Major Depression.
- Author
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Zhang Y, Peña MT, Lal LS, Lin YY, Summers RL, Saurabh C, and Swint JM
- Subjects
- Humans, Mississippi, Female, Male, United States, Retrospective Studies, Adult, Middle Aged, Young Adult, Patient Acceptance of Health Care statistics & numerical data, Adolescent, Sociodemographic Factors, Health Expenditures statistics & numerical data, Socioeconomic Factors, Age Factors, Aged, Mental Health Teletherapy, Medicaid statistics & numerical data, Telemedicine statistics & numerical data, Depressive Disorder, Major therapy
- Abstract
Objective: Investigate the association between Telemental Health (TMH) uptake and sociodemographic characteristics, and how TMH uptake relates to health care resource utilization and Medicaid expenditures among Mississippi Medicaid enrollees with major depression. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted (2019-2020), comparing those who utilized TMH and those who did not. Results: Among the 21,239 identified enrollees, 806 (3.79%) utilized TMH. The TMH cohort was more likely to be of older age, non-Hispanic White, comprehensive managed care organization enrollees, rural residents, and from areas with a higher area deprivation index, and have higher Charlson comorbidity index scores. The TMH cohort also exhibited higher mental health-related and all-cause outpatient and emergency department utilization, along with higher Medicaid expenditures. Conclusion: As the first study investigating telehealth utilization among Mississippi Medicaid enrollees, this study highlights sociodemographic disparities in telehealth adoption. Addressing barriers hindering telehealth adoption among vulnerable populations and ensuring the availability of quality data are vital for future research.
- Published
- 2024
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