Telehealth Usage Disparities in Israel in Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Retrospective Cohort Study of Intersectional Sociodemographic Patterns and Health Equity Implications

Telehealth expansion benefits remain unevenly distributed across populations in Israel's universal health care system. Significant disparities along age, socioeconomic, cultural, and geographic lines suggest that digital health innovations may widen existing health care inequities without interventions. Intersectional disparities require multidimensional approaches to overlapping barriers. Health care systems must intentionally address equity considerations to ensure digital health and telehealth integration reduces, not worsens, existing health care disparities in routine care delivery.