Trends in Telehealth Use and Changes in Associated Disparities: 2022-2024 HINTS

Telehealth use surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, but utilization after the pandemic and whether differences in use by various sociodemographic and clinical factors have persisted are unknown.

To assess changes in telehealth use among US adults from 2022 to 2024.

This repeated cross-sectional study used nationally representative data from the 2022 and 2024 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS).

Self-reported telehealth use (any video or telephone visit in the past 12 months). Changes in the use were evaluated using logistic regression, adjusting for sociodemographic, clinical, and access-related variables and interactions with survey year.

Among 11,386 respondents (mean [SD] age, 48.6 [17.8] years; 51.1% female), the unadjusted prevalence of telehealth use declined from 39.0% (95% CI [36.9%, 41.3%]) in 2022 to 34.9% (95% CI [32.1%, 37.9%]) in 2024, with a substantial decline among women. The proportion of visits conducted by video remained stable (71.1%, 95% CI [68.8%, 73.4%]), but increased considerably among uninsured individuals. Overall telehealth use was associated with age, internet use, higher income, and large-metro residence; among users, video use was additionally associated with Northeast residence and depression. Most associations did not differ by year, while gender differences in overall use and insurance differences in video use narrowed. Although approximately 20% reported technical problems, over 75% rated telehealth care as comparable to in-person care.

Self-reported telehealth use declined modestly after 2022, although video-based visits and perceived quality remained stable. Most of the previously recognized differences in telehealth use by sociodemographic and clinical factors persisted over time, but differences by gender and insurance status narrowed. Due to high-perceived quality, broad access to telehealth should continue with efforts to reduce structural and technological barriers.