![]() Of these items, 4 assessed PCPs’ attitudes on whether adolescent telehealth increases access to care, is a way they can provide high-quality care, takes too much time, or encourages health care overuse. Our survey assessed PCPs’ perceptions of adolescent telehealth with 7 closed-ended questions that used 5-point response scales, ranging from “strongly disagree” (1) to “strongly agree” (5). One item assessed how often PCPs requested confidential time to speak with adolescents during telehealth visits. One item assessed which vaccines PCPs always recommended during telehealth visits for adolescents who were due: seasonal influenza human papillomavirus (HPV) tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) and meningococcal ACWY. Of these items, 4 used pre-specified lists to assess the type of care provided, perceived advantages, perceived disadvantages, and technological barriers. Among PCPs with any (>0%) use, the survey used 6 closed-ended items to assess telehealth practice. The survey next assessed the extent of PCPs’ recent telehealth use with a closed-ended question on the proportion of adolescent patients they saw by telehealth in the 3 months prior to the survey we recategorized responses as high (51%-75%, 76%-99%, and 100%), moderate (26%-50%), low (1%-25%), or no (0%) use. Our survey began with an introductory statement that defined adolescent telehealth as visits by videoconference or telephone for patients aged 11-17 years. ![]() The University of North Carolina Institutional Review Board approved the study protocol. Based on survey responses, we excluded 8 PCPs who indicated that they saw no adolescent patients in a typical week, resulting in a final sample size of 1047 participants. ![]() Participants provided informed consent and received up to US $80 for their participation, depending on market rates in their area. The response rate was 61% among physicians and 41% among advanced practitioners and nurses (American Association for Public Opinion Research response rate 4). A total of 1055 panel members responded by accessing the survey. The survey company emailed invitations and up to two reminders to panel members. In compliance with state policies governing PCPs’ survey participation, our sample excluded residents of Vermont. ![]() For our survey, eligible panel members were US physicians, advanced practitioners (ie, nurse practitioners and physician assistants), and nurses who provided primary care, including vaccinations, to adolescents aged 11-17 years. As part of the recruitment process, physicians provided licensure information used to verify their identity. The company maintained the panel using a combination of recruitment methods, including web-based registration, referrals, marketing emails, and digital advertisements. We contracted with a survey research company to administer the survey, which we developed, to a standing national panel. We conducted a web-based survey of PCPs from February to March 2021. Our aims were to characterize PCPs’ recent adolescent telehealth use and attitudes as well as their support for continuing to offer adolescent telehealth after the COVID-19 pandemic is over. To address this gap, we surveyed a national sample of PCPs. However, to our knowledge, no published national studies have explored the experience of primary care professionals (PCPs) in delivering care to adolescents in the ensuing period, during which telehealth has presumably become a standard offering for many. A small body of research also documents the adolescent medicine community’s impressive efforts to rapidly scale up telehealth programs in the first months of the pandemic. Research conducted prior to the pandemic suggests that telehealth is a promising mode of delivering discrete types of health care for adolescents, including in the areas of mental health, asthma and diabetes management, and gender-affirming care. The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly transformed health care delivery in the United States for the first time, telehealth is playing a central role in the delivery of primary care for adolescents. ![]()
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