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Telemedicine Use in Primary Care for Children: 2019-2024
Alexander G Fiks1,2, Janani Ramachandran1, Samuel Wittman3
1Clinical Futures, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Pediatrics
|August 4, 2026
Summary
Telemedicine (TM) use in pediatric primary care surged during the pandemic, then declined but remains significant. Post-May 2023, increased TM visits correlate with higher overall patient visit volumes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Primary Care
- Health Services Research
- Digital Health
Background:
- Limited national data exists on telemedicine (TM) utilization in children's primary care.
- Understanding TM's evolving role is crucial for pediatric healthcare delivery.
- This study examines TM use patterns and their impact on clinic visit volumes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe national patterns of telemedicine use for problem-based visits in pediatric primary care.
- To analyze TM utilization across different clinical domains.
- To investigate the association between TM use and overall clinic visit volume.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of electronic health records from 1088 pediatric practices (2019-2024).
- Assessed monthly TM visits per 1000 patients and proportion of visits via TM.
- Regression modeling used to determine TM's impact on total visit volume.
Main Results:
- 19.6 million visits analyzed; TM use peaked at 55% in April 2020, declining to 6% by 2024.
- In 2024, TM constituted 20% of endocrinology and 15% of behavioral health visits.
- TM visits showed no significant change in total volume until May 2023, after which they increased total volume.
Conclusions:
- Telemedicine remains a significant component of pediatric primary care problem-based visits.
- TM utilization varies considerably over time and across clinical specialties.
- Recent data suggests TM may now contribute to increased overall patient visit volumes.
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