Alliance for Pandemic Preparedness

November 17, 2020

Trends in Outpatient Care Delivery and Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the US

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Analysis of private insurance claims in the US (n=16,740,365 enrollees) showed a net decrease in total medical visits from January to June 2020, with the substantial decline in in-person visits partially offset by an increase in telemedicine visits. Telemedicine visits increased from 0.8 visits to 17.8 visits per 1,000 enrollees, peaking in mid-April 2020. In-person visits dropped from 102.7 to 76.3 visits per 1,000 enrollees, and total visits (telemedicine and in-person visits combined) decreased from 103.5 to 94.1 visits. Geographic variation in the proportion of telemedicine visits was observed during the last 4 weeks of the study period, ranging from 8% in South Dakota to 48% in Massachusetts.

Patel et al. (Nov 16, 2020). Trends in Outpatient Care Delivery and Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the US. JAMA Internal Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.5928