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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Post-pandemic telemedicine use in kids' care has settled at a steady 6%, but it's far from fading out. A large study of over 19 million pediatric visits found that virtual care now accounts for roughly one-fifth of endocrine visits and 15% of behavioral health visits. And since mid-2023, each additional telemedicine visit has been linked to more overall visits — suggesting it's expanding access, not just replacing in-person care.
Telemedicine had its pandemic moment — and it's not going away. A retrospective study published in Pediatrics analyzed more than 19 million problem-based pediatric visits across 1,000+ family medicine and primary care practices from 2019 to 2024. While virtual visits skyrocketed to 55% of all visits in April 2020, they've since settled at around 6% overall by 2024 — but that number masks some striking specialty-level trends.
Certain areas of pediatric care are leaning heavily on telemedicine. In 2024, virtual visits made up about 20% of endocrine health appointments and 15% of behavioral health visits, compared to just 3% for respiratory issues. This suggests telemedicine has found a natural home in conditions where in-person exams are less critical.
Perhaps most encouraging: since May 2023, each additional telemedicine visit has been associated with an increase of roughly two total visits — hinting that virtual care may be boosting access rather than simply substituting for in-person appointments.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: For clinicians and health systems, this data reinforces that telemedicine isn't a pandemic relic — it's a durable tool, particularly for behavioral and endocrine care in children, and may be actively improving access to pediatric services.
