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Evidence that telehealth cuts carbon emissions grows
Telehealth use was associated with a significant reduction in carbon emissions, roughly equating to the monthly emissions of 60,000 to 130,000 cars, new research reveals.
New research is strengthening evidence that telehealth has a positive environmental impact.
A team led by University of California, Los Angeles Health researchers found that telehealth use in 2023 was associated with reduced carbon emissions of 21.4 to 47.6 million kg of carbon dioxide, or CO2. This was equivalent to the monthly emissions of approximately 61,255 to 130,076 gas-powered passenger cars.
Published in the American Journal of Managed Care, the study aimed to determine whether telehealth can help alleviate the immense greenhouse gas emissions associated with the U.S. healthcare system. Greenhouse gases, like CO2, significantly exacerbate climate change.
For the study, researchers developed models using multi-payer claims data to estimate the CO2 emissions averted due to telehealth between April 1, 2023, and June 30, 2023. The data represented 19% of insured U.S. adults. Researchers extrapolated the findings to the entire insured U.S. adult population.
On average, there were 1.48 million telehealth visits per month during the study period. Researchers estimated that these visits replaced 740,765 to 1.34 million in-person visits, for which patients must travel to see their healthcare provider. Using inputs of 2021 electric vehicle production share and emissions per mile, they found that between 4.07 million and 7.48 million kg of CO2 were averted due to telehealth use each month.
Researchers then extrapolated their findings to the entire insured adult population, finding that monthly emissions averted range from an estimated 21.4 million to 47.6 million kg of CO2, which equates to emissions from 61,255 to 130,076 gas-powered passenger vehicles.
Researchers noted some limitations to the study, including that the sample may not be representative of the broader population or account for regional differences. However, they concluded that using telehealth is linked to a modest decrease in the CO2 emissions of the U.S. healthcare system.
The findings also have policy implications, according to study co-senior author John N. Mafi, M.D., associate professor-in-residence of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
"As Congress debates whether to extend or modify pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities, our results provide important evidence for policymakers to consider, namely that telemedicine has the potential to reduce the carbon footprint of US health care delivery," Mafi said in a press release. Telehealth flexibilities are currently set to expire on Sept. 30, 2025.
The UCLA-led research is not the first study linking telehealth to reduced carbon emissions.
A study published in 2023 revealed that hybrid virtual and in-person care lowered carbon emissions by 25% and water consumption by 35%. Another study, published in 2024, found that telehealth helped reduce CO2 emissions associated with cancer care by 81.3% at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Further, research shows that pediatric telehealth was linked to a substantial reduction in CO2 emissions. The 2024 study included pediatric EMR data gathered from an outpatient children's hospital in a rural area between August 2019 and February 2022.
Researchers examined 20,845 pediatric telehealth visits during the study period, finding that from March 31, 2020, to March 30, 2021, 1.56 million miles round-trip in travel distance were eliminated. They determined that the eliminated travel represented a potential savings of 69,454 gallons of fuel, equating to a yearly saving of 618 metric tons of CO2.
Anuja Vaidya has covered the healthcare industry since 2012. She currently covers the virtual healthcare landscape, including telehealth, remote patient monitoring and digital therapeutics.
