The report published by KLAS and the Center for Connected Medicine is titled "The Intersection of Value and Telehealth," and it surveyed almost 100 qualified representatives regarding the adoption of the telemedicine approach in their respective organizations.
The result concluded that less than 20% of the visits had been conducted virtually in May and June of this year, according to Healthcare IT News.
"Certainly, telehealth isn't likely to go back to pre-pandemic utilization; health systems have too much invested to let these solutions gather dust," said the report. "And many patients have experienced the ease and convenience of e‑visits and other digital health solutions. Yet, as the findings in this report demonstrate, usage has fallen with the reopening of doctors' offices and hospitals."
According to Healthcare IT News, 80% of the organizations surveyed have reported performing less than 20% of their appointments in the virtual care system.
Of all the respondents, approximately two-thirds mentioned that they saw telemedicine playing a role when it comes to chronic care management in the future. More than 50% believe that virtual health care may also be important in the field of behavioral health care, while only a tiny percent thought that an area like cardiology could benefit very much from telehealth.
Healthcare IT News also reported that advocacy organizations had urged elected officials to take some action on behalf of patients who want to continue the virtual care system but may not be able to do so in the future if insurance doesn't cover it.
