Telemedicine Use Remains Elevated but Access Gaps Persist After COVID-19

Why It Matters

The findings highlight that telemedicine’s post‑COVID foothold is uneven, signaling both an opportunity for expanded digital care and a risk of widening health inequities if access gaps remain unaddressed.

Key Takeaways

• Telemedicine stabilizes at 5‑6% of outpatient visits.
• Older adults and men use telemedicine less frequently.
• Racial minorities have lower telemedicine odds than White patients.
• Psychiatry, neurology, sleep maintain higher virtual visit rates.
• Patient portal usage strongly predicts telemedicine adoption.

Pulse Analysis

The pandemic accelerated virtual care adoption, but the recent Penn Medicine analysis shows that the surge was not a fleeting anomaly. By tracking five years of electronic health‑record data, researchers identified a new baseline where telemedicine accounts for roughly one in twenty outpatient encounters. This persistence reflects both patient preference for convenience and institutional investments in digital platforms, yet it also underscores that the technology has not supplanted in‑person care across the board.

Equity emerges as the study’s most pressing concern. Despite overall growth, older adults, men, and racial minorities—particularly Asian, Black, and Hispanic patients—remain underrepresented in virtual visits. These gaps align with broader digital divides, such as limited broadband access, lower health‑literacy, and reduced familiarity with patient portals. As insurers and policymakers contemplate permanent reimbursement structures, failing to address these disparities could entrench existing health outcome gaps, especially in chronic disease management and preventive screening.

Looking forward, health systems must translate these insights into targeted interventions. Expanding broadband infrastructure, offering multilingual portal tutorials, and integrating telehealth workflows that prioritize vulnerable populations can boost adoption where it lags. Moreover, specialty-specific strategies—like maintaining high‑volume virtual psychiatry services while re‑evaluating low‑yield telemedicine in surgical clinics—can optimize resource allocation. Continued longitudinal monitoring will be essential to gauge whether policy reforms and technology upgrades truly democratize access to digital health.