Ambulatory visits, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2021

In 2021, the overall numbers and rates of active component service member ambulatory care visits were the highest of any of the last 10 years. Most categories of illness and injury showed modest increases in numbers and rates. The proportions of ambulatory care visits that were accomplished via telehealth encounters fell to under 15% in 2021, compared to 19% in 2020. Although the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 may have been associated with decreases in the incidence of disease and injury diagnoses in the service member population receiving ambulatory care, the data for 2021 show a return to pre-pandemic levels. Moreover, the proportions of health care encounters delivered through telehealth have similarly reverted to the lower levels seen in the pre-pandemic period. Lessons learned may guide future steps in reducing disease and injury incidence in the postpandemic era.