9 Facts About Telemedicine

We will take a look at some of the most remarkable statistics about telemedicine that demonstrate its impact on global healthcare.

Who uses telemedicine services?

1. 80% of people have used telemedicine at least once in their lifetime. According to a Rock Health report published in February 2023, four out of five people have used a telemedicine service at least once.

The same report found that in 2022, telemedicine adoption grew significantly among groups that are often underserved in healthcare.

For example, Rock Health reports:

A 12% increase in telemedicine use among people over the age of 55.

A 13% increase in telemedicine use among people living in rural areas.

2. 74% of people under 30 prefer teleconsultations over in-person visits

A GlobalMed report found that nearly three-quarters of young people prefer the convenience and immediacy of teleconsultations over in-person visits. According to GlobalMed, the ability to save travel time to and from appointments and avoid waiting in clinics are among the reasons young people favor these interactions.

3. 96% of patients with mental health conditions are satisfied with virtual mental health care

This statistic perfectly demonstrates that telemedicine is not a new concept; this is a conclusion from an academic study published in July 2006!

The study found that patients with mental health issues who participated in telepsychiatry sessions showed significant improvements in specific mental health metrics. In contrast, those who attended in-person visits showed no changes.

Do people believe telemedicine is effective?

4. 55% of people believe they receive better care through teleconsultations

A McKinsey report from February 2022, based on a survey conducted the previous year, found that 55% of patients are “much more satisfied” with teleconsultations and telemedicine care compared to in-person care.

The same report found that:

60% of patients find telemedicine more convenient than in-person health visits.

40% plan to continue using telemedicine after the COVID-19 pandemic.

63% are interested in broader digital health solutions, such as the ability to schedule appointments online and receive digitally oriented health plans.

Interestingly, however, McKinsey also found that only 32% of clinicians believe telemedicine improves patient experience, and 36% agree that telemedicine services are more convenient than in-person visits.

5. 52.5% of clinicians believe they offer more effective treatment and follow-up care via teleconsultations

In contrast to McKinsey’s findings, an article published in ResearchGate in January 2019 found that 52.5% of healthcare professionals believe teleconsultations are more effective for providing treatment and follow-up visits for established patients.

While this article was published before the pandemic and more than three years before McKinsey’s report, the contrasting figures may provide some insight into the future of telemedicine.

Are we moving toward a model where initial visits are conducted in person, but long-term consultations are held virtually?

6. Only 5% of virtual health visits result in the need for an in-person meeting

If the trends identified by the American Academy of Neurology during the peak of the first pandemic wave hold long-term, the idea of in-person visits leading to long-term virtual care may not come to fruition.

The organization found that only 5% of telemedicine visits identified the need for an in-person consultation. However, it is crucial to note that this study looked exclusively at telemedicine visits for children. If only 5% of what most would consider the most vulnerable patients are referred to in-person care, could this percentage be even lower for the general population?

Telemedicine before and after COVID-19

7. Telemedicine adoption increased by 44% between 2015 and 2019

The same GlobalMed report, which highlighted how many young people prefer telemedicine, also demonstrated that such services did not suddenly appear due to COVID-19.

On the contrary, the report identified a 44% growth in telemedicine adoption from 2015 to 2019.

8. Before COVID-19, 37% of people had used telemedicine services

The American data analytics firm J.D. Power, although best known for providing data on the automotive industry, found in a 2022 study that 67% of people had used telemedicine services, compared to 37% who said they had done so in a similar study conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic.

9. 27% of patients report feeling more comfortable with telemedicine after COVID-19

While the COVID-19 pandemic may not have led to the invention of telemedicine, it certainly left many people with no choice but to use it for medical consultations.

According to a Doximity paper published in September 2020, as a result, more than a quarter of patients feel more comfortable using telemedicine services than before the pandemic. Perhaps the only barrier was uncertainty about meeting someone online!

What do these statistics tell us about telemedicine?

One of the most remarkable things about looking at various reports and studies is the vast diversity of findings and different answers to the same questions.

This is likely indicative of the state of telemedicine as a concept. It is undoubtedly here to stay. However, most healthcare providers worldwide are still defining and deciding how to use it and whether its use should be driven by themselves, patients, circumstances, or a combination of all three.