BU IHSIP: MSW Student Taylor Wensley’s Blog Highlights How Telehealth May be Missing Older Populations
During the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth services were one of many health care solutions that didn’t put patients at risk of virus exposure. However, vulnerable older populations–particularly those who are lower income and live in public housing–face unique challenges that telehealth may exacerbate. In an effort to address these telehealth inequities, Taylor Wensley (MSW’22) and Prof. Judith Gonyea are conducting a study of older adults living in Boston public housing.
Excerpt from “Telehealth Is Leaping Forward, Are Lower-Income Older Persons Being Left Behind?” by Taylor Wensley, originally published on BU Institute for Health System Innovation & Policy:
“Concerned experts warn that a ‘telehealth divide’ based on factors such as age, language, and household income may increase, not lessen, health inequity.
To explore the question of telehealth access and use among lower-income older persons, we are using data from my mentor, Dr. Judith G. Gonyea’s larger COPES (Coronavirus and Older Persons Experiences Study) Project. COPES is a cross-sectional survey that explored the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and social isolation on Boston senior public housing residents’ daily lives, physical health, emotional well-being, and material hardship.
Older residents of Boston senior public housing are a vulnerable, but often understudied group. They typically live alone in small studio or one-bedroom apartments, often in densely populated buildings and neighborhoods. They often face material hardship and have multiple health problems or disabling conditions. Many are persons of color and primarily speak a language other than English.”