Telemedicine Utilization and Preventive Services Among a Rural Population

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between telemedicine use and preventive care among a rural population. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study with administrative claims data. METHODS: We utilized propensity score matching and multivariate logistic regressions to match rural telemedicine users with rural telemedicine nonusers to determine the relationship between telemedicine use and the utilization of preventive services. RESULTS: The propensity score-matched sample consisted of 2,012,290 individuals residing in rural areas between January 2019 and December 2023. The sample consisted of 1,006,145 individuals who did not use telemedicine from 2019 to 2023, 535,418 individuals who utilized telemedicine in 2020, and 730,828 individuals who utilized telemedicine between 2021 and 2023. Telemedicine use in 2020 was associated with a higher likelihood of completing a preventive care visit or service in 2021 (adjusted OR [AOR], 2.01; 95% CI, 1.93-2.09), and telemedicine use between 2021 and 2023 was associated with a higher likelihood of completing a preventive care visit or service in 2023 (AOR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.79-1.96). Telemedicine use in 2020 and between 2021 and 2023 were both evaluated to determine whether the results remained consistent after the initial surge in telemedicine use in 2020. CONCLUSIONS: The use of telemedicine in rural areas was associated with a higher likelihood of utilizing preventive care. The magnitude of this relationship varied depending on underlying health conditions, sex, and region of residence.