While telemedicine adoption has increased greatly during the pandemic, its use varies widely depending on the medical specialty in question.
Overall, video is the most popular form of telehealth (13.6 percent of established patient visits and 5.4 percent of new patient visits), according to a study published June 7 in JAMA Network Open. The research analyzed 402,989 VA New England Healthcare System visits during August and September of 2021.
Below is a breakdown of the type-of-visit preferences by specialty:
1. Mental health professionals used video more than any other modality (40.3 percent of established patients and 35.9 percent of new patients).
2. Primary care providers did the most appointments over the phone (22 percent of established patients and 8.3 percent of new patients).
3. Specialists chose to do in-person visits the most (86.9 percent of new patients and 84.4 percent of established patients).