TY - JOUR
AU - J. J. Kim
AU - R. G. Holleman
AU - L. A. Lin
AU - S. D. Saini
AU - M. A. Adams
A1 - 
AB - OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic stimulated an unprecedented expansion in use of video and telephone visits (televisits) for routine specialty care as a substitute for in-person clinic visits. However, the sustainability of televisit use for specialty care delivery following the pandemic is unclear. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS: In this descriptive, retro-spective study of national Veterans Health Administration (VHA) data, we assessed total outpatient visit volume by month in 9 specialties (cardiology, dermatology, eye care, gastroenterology [GI]/hepatology, neurosurgery, orthopedics, podiatry, substance use disorder [SUD], and urology) at all VHA facilities in the US between January 2019 (pre-COVID-19) and September 2023 (representing late phases of health system recovery post COVID-19). We also categorized outpatient visits by modality (in person, telephone, video) and assessed time trends in the proportion of total outpatient visits in each specialty delivered by televisit. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the study findings. RESULTS: Although total visit volumes in most VHA specialties had returned to pre-COVID-19 baselines by the end of the study period, they did not fully rebound in others, suggesting persistent care gaps. Televisit use increased from a mean of 7% in quarter 1 (Q1) 2019 to 54% in Q2 2020, then decreased modestly to 27% of all specialty visits by Q3 2023. The specialties with the highest sustained televisit use in Q3 2023 were SUD and GI, despite restored in-person visit availability. The use of telephone visits exceeded the use of video visits throughout the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that televisits will likely remain an important visit modality for patients in the postpandemic era.
AD - University of Michigan Division of Gastroenterology, 1500 E Medical Center Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. Email: kjuhee@med.umich.edu.
AN - 40549350
BT - Am J Manag Care
C5 - HIT & Telehealth
CP - 6
DA - Jun
DO - 10.37765/ajmc.2025.89749
DP - NLM
IS - 6
JF - Am J Manag Care
LA - eng
N2 - OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic stimulated an unprecedented expansion in use of video and telephone visits (televisits) for routine specialty care as a substitute for in-person clinic visits. However, the sustainability of televisit use for specialty care delivery following the pandemic is unclear. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS: In this descriptive, retro-spective study of national Veterans Health Administration (VHA) data, we assessed total outpatient visit volume by month in 9 specialties (cardiology, dermatology, eye care, gastroenterology [GI]/hepatology, neurosurgery, orthopedics, podiatry, substance use disorder [SUD], and urology) at all VHA facilities in the US between January 2019 (pre-COVID-19) and September 2023 (representing late phases of health system recovery post COVID-19). We also categorized outpatient visits by modality (in person, telephone, video) and assessed time trends in the proportion of total outpatient visits in each specialty delivered by televisit. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the study findings. RESULTS: Although total visit volumes in most VHA specialties had returned to pre-COVID-19 baselines by the end of the study period, they did not fully rebound in others, suggesting persistent care gaps. Televisit use increased from a mean of 7% in quarter 1 (Q1) 2019 to 54% in Q2 2020, then decreased modestly to 27% of all specialty visits by Q3 2023. The specialties with the highest sustained televisit use in Q3 2023 were SUD and GI, despite restored in-person visit availability. The use of telephone visits exceeded the use of video visits throughout the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that televisits will likely remain an important visit modality for patients in the postpandemic era.
PY - 2025
SN - 1088-0224
SP - 296
EP - 300+
ST - Impact of COVID-19 on specialty televisits in a large integrated health care system
T1 - Impact of COVID-19 on specialty televisits in a large integrated health care system
T2 - Am J Manag Care
TI - Impact of COVID-19 on specialty televisits in a large integrated health care system
U1 - HIT & Telehealth
U3 - 10.37765/ajmc.2025.89749
VL - 31
VO - 1088-0224
Y1 - 2025
ER -