Telehealth Most Commonly Used for Follow-ups, Behavioral Healthcare

Most Americans are engaging in telehealth for follow-ups from a prior appointment and behavioral healthcare, according to a new survey.

Conducted by global commercial real estate and investment management company JLL, the survey polled 4,017 US residents from April 19 to April 28. Of the respondents, 51 percent were female, and 49 percent were male. Further, 29 percent were Baby Boomers, 28 percent were Millennials, 25 percent were Generation X, and 15 percent were Generation Z. Twenty-eight percent lived in urban settings, 24 percent in rural areas, and the rest in suburban settings.

The survey results show that 42 percent of respondents said they had a telehealth appointment in the last year. This figure has dropped slightly from the 2022 JLL Healthcare Patient Consumer Survey, which showed that 45 percent said they had a telehealth appointment in the last year.

Though follow-up from a prior appointment was the top reason for a telehealth appointment in the 2022 and 2023 surveys, the proportion of residents citing this reason declined.

In the 2023 survey, 43 percent of respondents said they had a follow-up visit via telehealth, compared to 45 percent the year prior.

On the other hand, the share of respondents using telehealth for behavioral healthcare has grown. Around 31 percent of respondents said they had a telehealth visit for behavioral health/counseling in 2023, up from 25 percent in 2022.

The third most common reason for a telehealth visit was an initial consultation for a medical concern or condition, with 26 percent of respondents in 2022 and 27 percent in 2023 citing this reason. Primary and preventative care was a new option in the 2023 survey, and 17 percent of respondents said they participated in a virtual visit for this reason.

But the survey also revealed that 29 percent of the time, telehealth led to an in-person visit.

Regardless, 71 percent of US residents stated that based on their past experience, they would prefer a telehealth visit in the future, whether they chose it themselves or were directed to a telehealth appointment. This figure dropped 5 percentage points from the 2022 survey when 76 percent of respondents said they would prefer telehealth in the future.

"This could be due to decreasing satisfaction with telehealth service in the 2023 survey, or increased preference in the 2022 survey could be related to concerns about the COVID-19 Omicron variant spreading around the time of survey collection," the report stated.

Nationally, telehealth use is still on the rise, albeit at a smaller rate than in years past. A recent FAIR Health report showed that telehealth usage increased by 1.8 percent in March, accounting for 5.6 percent of claim lines, slightly higher than the 5.5 percent reported in February.

Further, mental health conditions rose from 66.7 percent of claim lines nationally in February to 67.4 percent in March.

But amid telehealth's ongoing popularity, research shows that the sustainability of telehealth use will depend on recognizing and continuing to pay for uncompensated provider services.

Published in the American Journal of Accountable Care (AJMC), a new study identified three themes related to financial factors that influence telehealth adoption and use. The study is based on interviews with 65 adult patients and 21 primary care providers. These participants were from four medical centers, all part of the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Consortium Network in New York, North Carolina, and Florida.

The first theme noted that telehealth highlighted the burden of uncompensated provider work. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, providers were performing various extra tasks free of compensation, according to the interviews. These tasks included making phone calls for review, adjusting prescriptions, and answering questions. When performed via telehealth, these services were billable.

Providers shared several recommendations, including continuing reimbursement models that support uncompensated provider work.