Virtual healthcare has expanded significantly beyond mental health services, with nearly half of all Medicare telehealth appointments now addressing chronic physical conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, according to a study released Tuesday.
The research, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of approximately 15,000 Medicare users between 2021 and 2023 to track post-pandemic remote care trends. It revealed that while remote mental health appointments reached 31 million annually, virtual visits for non-mental health conditions trailed closely at 29 million.
“We were surprised at the number of non-mental health conditions, like high blood pressure or diabetes, that were commonly addressed through telehealth,” said Terrence Liu, an assistant professor at University of Utah Health and lead author of the study.
He noted that while virtual visits make up a smaller percentage of total physical health care compared to mental health, the high prevalence of these chronic conditions means the absolute volume of visits is nearly equal.
The study suggests that telehealth has become a critical tool for the most medically vulnerable populations. Users were more likely to report overall poor health and limitations in activities of daily living, such as bathing or dressing. Researchers believe the technology helps “alleviate barriers to care” for patients who find it difficult to travel to a physical office.
The findings come as health systems and policymakers debate the permanency of pandemic-era telehealth expansions. Alexander Chaitoff, assistant professor at the University of Michigan and the study’s second author, argued that providing more certainty regarding insurance coverage is vital for older adults.
“Having more certainty on whether their telehealth care will be supported on a more permanent basis could be helpful, given how important it is for managing chronic conditions,” Chaitoff said.
While acknowledging that some technical and logistical issues remain, the researchers concluded that virtual care is now an entrenched part of the U.S. medical landscape.
“It’s hard to imagine going back to a world where telehealth is a tiny fraction of all the health care that’s delivered,” Liu said.