A recent study led by researchers at Michigan State University has found a significant increase in telemedicine services offered by U.S. hospitals between 2017 and 2022. The study also highlighted ongoing obstacles to the full implementation of telemedicine.
An in-depth analysis of telemedicine adoption in U.S. hospitals during this period revealed notable progress as well as persistent challenges in the healthcare sector’s transition to digital services. Published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, the study showed a rise in the percentage of hospitals offering telemedicine services from 46% in 2017 to 72% in 2021. There was a notable increase in patient utilization, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conducted by John (Xuefeng) Jiang, Eli Broad Endowed Professor of accounting and information systems at Michigan State University, the research team examined data from the American Hospital Association’s annual surveys and AHA IT Supplemental Survey. These surveys provided insights into electronic medical records, interoperability, health information exchange barriers, and the extent of electronic transition, shedding light on telemedicine’s growth and the challenges hindering its full potential.
Jiang stated, “Our research demonstrates the rapid adoption of telemedicine, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we identified disparities in implementation among different types of hospitals and persistent obstacles in health information exchange that need to be addressed for telemedicine to deliver its full advantages.”
Key findings from the study included:
- Telemedicine encounters increased by 75%, from 111.4 million in 2020 to 194.4 million in 2021.
- Larger, nonprofit, and teaching hospitals were more inclined to adopt telehealth services.
- While over 90% of hospitals allow patients to access and download medical records online, only 41% permit online data submission.
- 25% of hospitals pointed out certified health IT developers, including electronic health record vendors, as frequent sources of information blocking.
The study also pinpointed significant challenges in exchanging electronic health information, with 85% of hospitals reporting interoperability issues across various vendor platforms.
Joseph Ross, a professor at the Yale School of Medicine and co-author of the study, stressed the importance of expanding access to telehealth services.
“The lower availability of telehealth services in smaller and for-profit hospitals suggests the necessity to ensure their wide availability across all hospitals, enabling patients to access the care they require,” he remarked.
Ge Bai, a former doctoral student in the MSU Broad College of Business now a professor of accounting and health policy at Johns Hopkins University and another co-author, emphasized the potential of telemedicine alongside the challenges it faces.
“Telemedicine holds promise in enhancing hospital care, but our study identified significant barriers impeding hospitals from realizing this potential,” Bai noted.
This study extended the work by Jiang, Bai, and their team. An associated study featured in Health Affairs Scholar documented the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) in U.S. hospitals over the past decade, emphasizing EHRs as a critical prerequisite for offering telemedicine services. Another recent study by the team, also published in Health Affairs Scholar, highlighted difficulties some U.S. hospitals encountered in reporting adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccines to healthcare authorities, further emphasizing challenges in health information management and reporting.
“These studies collectively illustrate the continuing digital transformation in U.S. healthcare,” Jiang remarked. “While we’ve made significant strides in areas like electronic health record adoption and telemedicine integration, persistent issues in data exchange and reporting underscore the need for ongoing enhancements in our health information systems.”
The researchers recommended policymakers focus on addressing these challenges to ensure equitable access to telemedicine services and facilitate seamless health information exchange among healthcare providers.
“As we contemplate the future of healthcare, it’s evident that telemedicine will have an increasingly vital role. Our study not only shows the progress made but also serves as a call to action,” Jiang emphasized. “By tackling the discrepancies in adoption and overcoming technical hurdles, we can establish a more accessible, efficient, and patient-centric healthcare system. The rapid growth we’ve witnessed demonstrates the potential; now, it’s crucial to ensure that all patients and healthcare providers can fully leverage these technological advancements.”
