Telehealth Modality Usage by US Physicians in 2022.

BACKGROUND

The growth of telehealth care delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted its potential to enhance access to care and improve patient outcomes. As the healthcare landscape moves toward a new equilibrium in care delivery, few studies have examined physician usage of specific telehealth modalities.

OBJECTIVE

To understand telehealth usage differences among modalities and across subgroups of physicians.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey of physicians in the United States (U.S).

PARTICIPANTS

Physicians in the U.S.

MAIN MEASURES: Telehealth modalities, telehealth usage intensity, factors influencing telehealth usage by different types of physicians.

KEY

RESULTS

More than 70% of physicians reported using telehealth. Our results show variation in the types of modalities used by different types of physicians, with provider-to-provider telehealth modalities having lower usage rates than provider-to-patient modalities. Live video visits with patients was the most commonly used modality (56.5%), while video consultations (17.6%) was the least used modality. "Payment and reimbursement" was identified as the most important factor enabling routine telehealth use (by 41.6% of physicians).

CONCLUSIONS

This study identifies and assesses the widespread adoption of telehealth among U.S. physicians, particularly for provider-to-patient interactions, and highlights the potential for greater use of provider-to-provider modalities. While variations in usage patterns across provider types and specialties reflect the diverse needs and contexts within healthcare, ensuring that these variations are appropriate is critical to avoiding disparities in access and utilization. Addressing barriers related to reimbursement, interoperability, and training will be key to promoting equitable and appropriate adoption of various telehealth modalities across diverse clinical settings.