Telehealth accounted for 8% of outpatient visits a year into pandemic

Editor's Note

A new report published by KFF-Epic Research found that telehealth still represents a substantial share of healthcare delivery despite its use having decreased somewhat from the high seen at the start of the pandemic, the February 16 Healthcare Purchasing News reports. The research presents data from more than 126 million patients from across the US.

According to the report, from March 2021 to August 2021, some 8% of outpatient visits were conducted via telehealth. That number is down from the 13% observed in the first 6 months of the pandemic; however, that is still higher than pre-COVID-19 numbers, “when telehealth accounted for a negligible share of outpatient visits.”

Among other findings, the KFF-Epic report also showed that the rate of patients in rural and urban areas currently using telehealth is similar to the number seen during the initial 6-month period of the pandemic.

On February 15, Health Leaders reported that the Department of Health and Human Services has awarded close to $55 million to expand virtual care services at 29 community health centers. This funding is being distributed as grants of between $1.4 million and $2 million to centers across 14 states and Puerto Rico to help support virtual care services for underserved populations.