Virtual Care in America: The Populus Report

Why It Matters

Virtual care’s rapid adoption reshapes how health services are delivered, creating new revenue streams for pharma while exposing coordination gaps that could hinder patient outcomes. Aligning stakeholder definitions and integrating care moments will be critical for sustainable growth.

Key Takeaways

• Stakeholders define virtual care differently; only video visits are universally accepted
• 76% say virtual care speeds access; 56% would delay care without it
• 73% of providers use virtual care for half or more of interactions
• 81% of pharma marketers raised virtual care spend, yet lack provider exposure
• Pre‑visit and post‑visit moments are high‑value gaps where patient demand exceeds execution

Pulse Analysis

Virtual care has moved from a pandemic stop‑gap to a core component of the U.S. health system. By collapsing video, phone, SMS, email and portal messaging under a single umbrella, the Populus Report highlights a market that now reaches patients faster than traditional visits—76% of respondents say it speeds access, and 56% would have delayed or missed care without it. This acceleration is especially pronounced in specialty fields such as cardiology and neurology, where virtual visits bridge geographic gaps and bring underserved populations into the care continuum. The shift also forces providers to re‑engineer workflows, with 73% reporting that virtual interactions now constitute half of their patient engagements.

The report uncovers a stark misalignment among the three primary stakeholders. While patients view a broad spectrum of digital touchpoints as virtual care, providers limit the definition mainly to video and phone, and pharma marketers adopt the widest view, treating every digital exchange as part of the category. This divergence creates friction in measurement and attribution, prompting Populus to propose a shared Virtual Care Lexicon. For pharma, the stakes are high: 81% have increased virtual‑care budgets, yet 57% still see limited exposure to providers, indicating that spend alone does not guarantee impact. Aligning terminology and metrics will enable marketers to demonstrate ROI more convincingly and tailor interventions to the moments patients value most.

Looking ahead, the next growth frontier lies in orchestrating the pre‑visit, visit, and post‑visit moments into a seamless experience. Patients demand content and support during waiting periods, and 73% would find integrated patient‑support programs valuable. Providers are already using virtual platforms for follow‑ups, prescription refills, and chronic‑care management, creating a fertile ground for coordinated pharma messaging. Companies that can bridge these human moments—leveraging data, workflow integration, and the emerging lexicon—will transform virtual engagement into tangible health outcomes, solidifying virtual care as a revenue‑generating, outcome‑driven ecosystem.