Following the explosion of the telehealth business in 2020, the healthcare industry considers telehealth technology for a long-term future. The COVID-19 pandemic fuels a rapid shift where every area of the telehealth sector has been affected from providers’ adoption to patient satisfaction, to telehealth investment. To illustrate how the telehealth ecosystem has evolved, we’ve presented 30 key statistics highlighting the trend of telehealth since the pandemic.

​

30 Telehealth Statistics to Keep an Eye On

Patients

1. Compared to pre-pandemic, patient adoption was up to 33% during the pandemic1

2. According to the recent Fortune Business Insights, the telehealth market is predicted to reach $186.5bn by 20262

3. 71% of patients considered telehealth as an alternative to direct visits3

4. 50% of patients adopted telemedicine service3

5. One in 5 people (20%) have reported switching clinicians for virtual consultations as telehealth saves nearly 100 minutes of patients’ time compared to direct visits.4

6. Even 74% of millennials prefer online visits to direct visits as they can avoid 40 minutes drive, 30 minutes of waiting time, and 10 minutes of consultation.4                 

7. 69% of patients revealed that they prefer a user-friendly technology to schedule a virtual visit3

8. 47% of people reported that having an online scheduling module would encourage them to schedule a virtual visit3

9. Nearly 75% of people reported that they will continue to use the telehealth platform if their family physicians offer telehealth service. 3

10. At the same time, 50% of patients expressed high satisfaction to use telehealth without even knowing the physician3

11. 91% of patients revealed that telemedicine will help them prevent no-shows by sticking to appointments3

12. 93% of people reported that they would prefer telehealth for prescription management3

13. 85% of patients are satisfied with telehealth services5

14. 40% of millennials reported that telehealth offer was extremely important6

15. 79% of patients revealed that scheduling a telehealth follow-up visit could be more convenient than a direct follow-up visit11

16. It is estimated to save about $19-$121 per video visit13

17. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, only 14% of people used telemedicine at least once. Currently, 35% of patients with chronic conditions are engaged with their provider via telehealth service14

 

How about the providers?

1. 59% of healthcare providers reported that virtual consultations are as effective as direct consultations7

2. 93% of providers reported that online care is an acceptable option for care delivery8

3. 89% of providers recommended telehealth to be the satisfactory method of follow-up care8

4. Telehealth can reduce the overall costs of clinician visits by 10-15 percent9

5. 76% of US healthcare facilities connect with their patients via virtual consultations10

6. Nearly 67% of ER visits can be avoided by using virtual consultation services12

7. 57% of providers consider telehealth as a more favorable option than before COVID-1915

8. 64% of providers reported that they are very comfortable using telemedicine15

9. The number of providers considering telehealth as a skill increased from 20% to 38%14

10. Female providers are 24% more likely to adopt telehealth than males14

11. More than three-quarters of care providers reported that they were able to provide better care to their patients using telehealth services16

12. 64% of providers conduct virtual visits from home16

13. Providers could see 50-175 times the number of patients via virtual consultation than before the COVID-19 pandemic15

 

Need help with setting up your telehealth platform?

Although the telehealth statistics used in this article were taken from multiple journals and market research, they highlight the significance of telehealth implementation in your practice. Even if your focus is improving revenue, reducing overall cost, patient care, or timely accessibility, telehealth proves to be the one-stop solution.

At Hifinite Health, we believe the future for telehealth is limitless and can’t wait to see what 2022 has in store. If you’re a care provider, find out how you can launch and sustain a telehealth practice that meets the needs of your patients. Hifinite Health is ready to help your practice fully leverage the benefits of telehealth service.

 

References

1. https://info.pressganey.com/e-books-research/customer-experience-trends-in-healthcare-2020

2. https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/telemedicine-market-101067

3. https://www.medicaleconomics.com/view/four-new-statistics-that-prove-that-telemedicine-isn-t-just-a-pandemic-fad

4. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateashford/2017/01/30/videodoctor/?sh=7121729810ce

5. https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

6. https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/millennials-demand-telehealth-move-away-traditional-primary-care-model

7. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330544973_Patient_and_Clinician_Experiences_With_Telehealth_for_Patient_Follow-up_Care

8. https://n.neurology.org/content/neurology/early/2020/06/09/WNL.0000000000010010.full.pdf

9. https://getstream.io/blog/telemedicine-statistics/

10. https://www.aha.org/factsheet/telehealth

11. https://www.massgeneral.org/news/press-release/virtual-video-visits-may-improve-patient-convenience-without-sacrificing-quality-of-care-communication

12. https://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/content/dam/UHG/PDF/2019/UHG-Avoidable-ED-Visits.pdf

13. https://www.ajemjournal.com/article/S0735-6757(18)30653-3/fulltext

14. https://c8y.doxcdn.com/image/upload/Press%20Blog/Research%20Reports/2020-state-telemedicine-report.pdf

15. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare-systems-and-services/our-insights/telehealth-a-quarter-trillion-dollar-post-covid-19-reality

16. https://c19hcc.org/telehealth/physician-survey-analysis/