Virtual care isn't just a pandemic-era workaround anymore — it's a fixture in hematology. A real-world analysis of over 83,000 appointments at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota (2023–2025) found that roughly 20% of adult hematology visits occurred virtually, with video calls outpacing phone visits nearly 2-to-1. Crucially, utilization was consistent across age groups and rural vs. urban settings, debunking the assumption that older or rural patients shy away from digital care.

But the digital convenience comes with a serious behind-the-scenes burden. Every patient-initiated portal message triggered an average of nearly 7 additional electronic messages within the EHR system. Patient phone calls generated even more follow-up traffic. Despite this, 94% of clinicians reported not routinely billing for in-basket work, even as 87% said they spend more than 30 minutes a day managing it.

By the Numbers:

• ~20% of hematology appointments were virtual (12.9% video, 6.4% phone)
• 1 patient portal message → 6.9 additional EHR messages on average
• 1 patient phone call → 2.6 additional EHR messages
• 86.8% of clinicians spend 30+ min/day on in-basket messaging
• 94.3% do not routinely bill for it
• Patients without English as a preferred language had far lower virtual visit rates (10%)

Why it matters: As telehealth becomes standard practice, health systems need to rethink workflows and billing structures to prevent digital overload from accelerating clinician burnout — while also addressing equity gaps for non-English-speaking patients.