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Telehealth Use Among Surgeons Soared During Pandemic

Analysis  |  By John Commins  
   March 26, 2021

Among 4,405 surgeons in a Michigan cohort, 2,599 (59%) used telehealth to meet with a patient.

Telehealth use among surgeons for patient visits soared in the early months of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, according to a new study.

Researchers examined insurance claims from a Michigan statewide commercial payer for new patient visits with a surgeon from 1 of 9 surgical specialties immediately before the pandemic (January 5 to March 7, 2020), during the early months of the pandemic (March 8 to June 6), and later in the pandemic (June 7 to September 5).

The research was published online Friday in JAMA Surgery.

Among the 4,405 surgeons in the Michigan cohort, 2,599 (59%) used telehealth to meet with a patient. For new patients, 1,182 surgeons (27%) used telehealth, and a total of 109,610 surgical new patient telehealth visits were identified during the pandemic.  

Before March 2020, less than 1% (8 of 173, 939) of new patient visits were done using telehealth.

Telehealth use peaked in April 2020 -- week 14 of the pandemic – and represented 35% (479 of 1,383) of all new patient visits that week.

The telehealth conversion rate peaked in April 2020 -- week 15 -- and was equal to more than 8% of the 2019 mean weekly new patient visit volume.

From March to June, 12% of all new patient surgical visits were conducted using telehealth).

From June to September, telehealth visits slipped to 3% (2,168 of 71,819) of all new patient surgical visits.  

The median age of telehealth patients was 47 (34-58) years compared with 52 (38-62) years for in-person patients.

"While rates of telehealth use have declined as in-person care has resumed, telehealth use remains substantially higher across all surgical specialties than it was prior to the pandemic," the study said.

“While rates of telehealth use have declined as in-person care has resumed, telehealth use remains substantially higher across all surgical specialties than it was prior to the pandemic.”

John Commins is the news editor for HealthLeaders.


KEY TAKEAWAYS

For new patients, 1,182 surgeons (27%) used telehealth, and a total of 109,610 surgical new patient telehealth visits were identified during the pandemic.  

Before March 2020, less than 1% (8 of 173, 939) of new patient visits were done using telehealth.

Telehealth use peaked in April 2020 -- week 14 of the pandemic – and represented 35% (479 of 1,383) of all new patient visits that week.

The median age of telehealth patients was 47 (34-58) years compared with 52 (38-62) years for in-person patients.


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