Beyond the Pandemic: Leveraging Rapid Expansions in U.S. Telemental Health and Digital Platforms to Address Disparities and Resolve the Digital Divide

This research article covers the rapid expansion of telemental health (TMH) services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The article notes how the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted persistent health disparities faced by underserved ethnic minorities, immigrants, and refugee communities. The article identifies how the expansion of TMH reduced pre-existing barriers to service utilization while possibly worsening others, such as the digital divide excluding those with lower technological literacy from fully benefitting from telemedicine. The article suggests that this is a unique moment in U.S. history to leverage political momentum in response to the pandemic to increase digital connectivity for diverse populations. The article concludes with recommendations on how to achieve digital equity.