38% of Patients Have Received Virtual Care in 2022

Over a third of patients (38 percent) have received care via telehealth this year, a drop from 48 percent who said the same in 2020, according to a new report from Jones Lang LaSalle.

The survey polled 4,060 US residents from Jan. 3 to 12.

Despite the rise in telehealth visits during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, utilization has since dropped. In mid-2020, 52 percent of healthcare visits happened virtually, but this figure had since dropped down to 11 percent. Although it has significantly declined, it remains higher than it was before the pandemic.

In 2022, 38 percent of care was virtual. Researchers expect that in the years to come, telehealth will be optimal not as a replacement to in-person visits but as a complementary service.

The study shows that half of the respondents said they have participated in a telehealth visit since July 2021. Three-quarters of behavioral health visits had a virtual component.

Of the 50 percent of patients that have participated in telehealth since July, 76 percent would prefer to receive care virtually in the future.

The selection of telehealth as a visit setting likely derives from patients having particular opinions about office settings.

Overall, 70 percent of patients claimed that location is a critical factor in selecting healthcare resources.

A Jones Lang LaSalle survey from 2021 reported that 83 percent of patients prioritize proximity to their care facility, regardless of its conditions. Conversely, 17 percent are willing to travel extensively to a more modern facility.

From their findings, researchers concluded that accessibility and convenience are critical factors for patients when deciding the setting in which they receive care. They also stated that although in-person healthcare will never disappear, telehealth will always be an option for those who prefer it and have access to it.

There has been a push to determine what telehealth delivery will look like post-pandemic. A study from October 2020 predicted the future of telehealth from a mid-pandemic standpoint. The study described the general patient satisfaction reported with telehealth and how even at the time it was highly anticipated that telehealth would remain a critical part of care delivery.

Another study from November 2021 showed that many post-discharge visits were conducted using telehealth, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Telehealth was also shown to increase levels of engagement among pediatric patients, a study from March 2021 showed. It resulted in a drop in the rate of missing appointments. Further, the location of the study, Capital Area Pediatrics, conducted virtual seminars teaching principles of child wellness.