Over Half of Americans Unlikely to Use Telehealth Post-Pandemic

Though many Americans think it would be good if virtual options like telehealth continued to be accessible post-pandemic, more than half (52 percent) said they are unlikely to continue to use virtual care modalities, according to a new survey.

The survey, which was conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and The SCAN Foundation, polled 1,001 US adults between May 12 and 16. Questions focused on Americans' changing behavior as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve.

Many respondents said that virtual community events (54 percent), remote work (54 percent), and telehealth (48 percent) are "good things that should continue" after the pandemic is over. But a majority plan to leave behind certain pandemic behaviors, like having groceries delivered (66 percent) and receiving care through telehealth (52 percent), after the public health crisis has ended.

Though telehealth may provide various benefits to adults over 50, only 16 percent of people in this age group said they are highly likely to continue using the care modality after the pandemic. In contrast, 22 percent of adults between the ages of 18 and 49 said they would continue to receive care virtually.

Respondents who were "very" or "extremely" worried about contracting COVID-19 were more likely to say that it would be good for telehealth use to continue after the pandemic (62 percent) compared with those who were less worried about the disease (44 percent).

In general, telehealth use remained popular during the public health crisis. About 37 percent of respondents said they were more likely to receive virtual care during the pandemic than before, and 40 percent said they were as likely to use it as pre-pandemic.

Unsurprisingly, telehealth use differed by race, with 41 percent of Hispanic and 38 percent of White people saying they received care via telehealth more often during the pandemic than before. Only 25 percent of Black people said the same.

"The pandemic accelerated many Americans' use of digital services in everyday life, whether it was taking advantage of remote work or telehealth options, having their groceries delivered, or participating in other virtual activities," said Jennifer Benz, deputy director of the AP-NORC Center, in the press release. "Older adults might be less excited about using these after the pandemic ends for a variety of reasons, but they have developed a familiarity with these services that may allow them to age in place when or if they need them again."

As the pandemic continues to evolve and new variants emerge, only 12 percent of adults overall feel that their lives are entirely the same now as they were prior to the pandemic.

To fully regain their pre-pandemic lives, 51 percent of survey respondents feel it is essential to be vaccinated, 50 percent said effective treatments must be available, and 22 percent said regular indoor masking is necessary.

Black and Hispanic Americans are more likely than their White peers to say that regularly wearing masks indoors and testing for COVID-19 is essential for returning to pre-pandemic public life, according to the survey.

"Few Americans have completely resumed their pre-pandemic lives, and the groups who have suffered more from COVID-19 are especially hesitant to do so," said Sarita A. Mohanty, MD, president and CEO of The SCAN Foundation, in the press release. "It's critical to consider the needs of Hispanic and Black American communities beyond masking and testing, but also through the continuation of pandemic-era services like telehealth, curbside pickup, and virtual options for social activities that help those concerned about the virus to still engage with public life."

As Americans navigate the new normal, telehealth use remains relatively high. Recent data from FAIR Health shows a 0.3 percent decline in telehealth as a proportion of all medical claim lines from February to March. But still, in March, telehealth encompassed 4.6 percent of all medical claim lines.

Further, patient characteristics are more likely to impact telehealth use than provider characteristics. A study published last month shows that patient characteristics like race and insurance status play a key role in determining telehealth use.