COVID-19 Falls from Top 5 Telehealth Diagnoses List

A FAIR Health report found that COVID-19 was absent from the top five telehealth diagnoses in February after being in the top five in January following a spike in cases due to the Omicron variant.

FAIR Health is a nonprofit organization that aims to improve access to healthcare, reduce costs, and enhance consumer resources. In May 2020, the organization implemented its Monthly Regional Telehealth Tracker, a free service that reports monthly telehealth usage data.

According to the FAIR Health Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker, COVID-19 fell from the top five telehealth diagnoses list in the US after maintaining its spot for two months.

The decrease in COVID-19 diagnoses came alongside a 9.3 percent decline in telehealth use nationally, from 5.4 percent of all medical claim lines in January to 4.9 percent in February.

This data shows telehealth usage had changed significantly from the month prior when the use of the care modality increased in every US census region for the third month in a row.

The departure of COVID-19 from the top five list resulted in other diagnoses taking its spot in the various US regions.

Substance use disorders were the principal diagnoses on the top five diagnoses list in the Midwest and Northeast. Developmental disorders were on the list in the South, and endocrine and metabolic disorders and joint/soft tissue diseases made the top five in the West.

Mental health conditions occupied the top spot in all US regions. Report authors believe this may be because patients appear to be returning to in-person settings for other conditions.

The February 2022 Tracker also reported that social worker was the most common type of specialist using telehealth in all regions. This is linked to the consistently high demand for mental health services, as social workers primarily used telehealth to deliver psychotherapy services.

As COVID-19 cases have ebbed and surged, telehealth usage has seen similar fluctuations.

In October 2021, telehealth use declined by 7 percent, and mental health conditions claimed the top spot among telehealth diagnoses. Comparatively, between July and September 2021, the use of telehealth increased progressively. Telehealth accounted for 4.1 percent of all medical claim lines on a national level in October, slightly lower than the 4.4 percent in September.

Another study from January revealed that telehealth use peaked in mid-2020 and has since declined, and providers believe it will likely continue to decline in the coming years. Data from the study came from a Medical Group Telehealth Survey, which also found that primary care groups saw a sharp increase in telehealth use during the second quarter of 2020.