Telehealth visits that exploded in recent months are starting to plateau and in some cases decline in popularity as doctor’s offices reschedule backlogged patients for more in-person appointments, according new data from The Commonwealth Fund. Telemedicine visits accounted for about 14% of all total visits the week of April 19, according to the report, but that number dropped to 13% the next week and 12% the week after that. Telehealth visits held at 12% for the first two weeks of May. Primary care practices especially are grappling with telehealth’s limitations, said Farzad Mostashari, CEO of Aledade, a startup that helps practices develop new payment models. Minor procedures involving sutures and stitches, for example, are revenue-driving primary care services that can’t be done virtually. Though nowhere near pre-pandemic levels, outpatient visits are on the rebound across the country, the report found.
Read the full article: Patients Steadily Return to In-Person Primary Care as Telehealth Plateaus //
Source: https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/primary-care-telehealth-decline-COVID/578419