Telehealth visits are on a steady decline: 5 things to know

Telehealth visits have been on the steady decline since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but remain well above pre-pandemic levels, Politico reported Oct. 11. 

Five telehealth trends to know:

1. According to CDC data, 1 in 5 adults say they have had a virtual visit in the previous month.
   
   
2. Older Americans are more likely to use telehealth.
   
   
3. Primary care visits using telehealth are on the rise. In 2020, telehealth visits made up 8 percent of primary care doctor visits for Medicare beneficiaries versus 3 percent for specialists.
   
   
4. When the Omicron variant was at its peak, telehealth usage began to soar once again among Medicare and Medicaid patients in the first quarter of 2022.
   
   
5. Patients with chronic conditions are twice as likely to use telehealth.