ArticleJournal of general internal medicine2026
Temporal Trends and Sociodemographic Differences in Telemedicine Utilization, 2019-2024.
Article in Journal of general internal medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Partially Virtual vs In-Person Care in Cardiovascular Conditions-Time Trends, Patient Characteristics, and Medication Management: Cohort Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Article
- Predictors of Missed Appointments in Digestive Health: A Comparative Analysis of Telehealth and In-Person Visits.Clinical and translational gastroenterology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
13 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundTelemedicine usage surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, shaping how patients access healthcare services. Its sustained role in post-pandemic healthcare may uncover long-term trends and variations in utilization.
objectiveTo characterize telemedicine utilization from 2019 to 2024 and identify patient characteristics associated with telemedicine use. DESIGN AND
participantsThis retrospective cohort study analyzed outpatient visits across five hospitals within the University of Pennsylvania Health System (Penn Medicine) from January 1, 2019, to September 30, 2024. MAIN MEASURES: The primary outcome was whether each outpatient encounter was conducted via telemedicine (vs in-person). We used multivariable logistic regression clustering on patients to assess associations between telemedicine use and patient- and encounter-level characteristics, including demographics, insurance, patient portal use, income, clinical comorbidity, distance from care, provider specialty, encounter type, hospital index, and visit year. KEY
resultsThe study included 46,149,734 visits among 2,248,341 patients. Telemedicine surged from 1% of visits pre-pandemic to 17% in April 2020, stabilized at 8-13% through late 2020, and remained 4-6% from 2022 to 2024. Telemedicine use was lower among older adults (aOR 0.67 for ages 40-64; 0.47 for ≥ 65 vs. < 40 years), males (aOR 0.90), and new visits (aOR 0.46). Higher use was observed among unmarried (aOR 1.10), patient portal users (aOR 1.44), patients with fewer comorbidities, those living ≥ 15 miles from care (aOR 1.42 vs. < 5 miles), lower-income (< $50,000 aOR 1.06 vs. $50,000-$100,000), and primary care (aOR 1.23 vs. specialty care). Telemedicine use was lower among Non-Hispanic Black (aOR 0.88), Hispanic (aOR 0.94), and Asian (aOR 0.82) patients compared to Non-Hispanic White patients. Patterns differed by clinical condition, with disproportionately higher use among White patients with mental health disorders.
conclusionsTelemedicine use persists post-pandemic but reflects differences in access by age, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and prior engagement with the patient portal. Targeted policies are needed to ensure equitable telemedicine adoption and accessibility for all patients.
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