NCHS - U.S. National Center for Health Statistics

06/24/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/23/2026 22:04

Telemedicine Use Among Office-Based Physicians in 2021 and 2024

NCHS Health E-Stat 120, June 2026

by Kelly L. Myrick, Ph.D., Mohsin Mahar, M.P.H., and Brian W. Ward, Ph.D.

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Between 2019 and 2021, the percentage of U.S. office-based physicians who used telemedicine increased from 15.4% to 85.9% (1). Research in ambulatory health care settings shows that, since this time, the use of telemedicine has decreased (2). However, its use remains important to health care delivery (3). This report uses data from the 2021 and 2024 National Electronic Health Records Survey (NEHRS), conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), to examine differences in telemedicine use among office-based physicians by selected characteristics.

Telemedicine use among office-based physicians was lower in 2024 (80.0%) than in 2021 (86.5%) (Table). Telemedicine use decreased 5.7% among primary care physicians from 2021 (91.4%) to 2024 (86.2%) and 19.7% among surgical specialists during the same period (74.8% to 60.1%). No significant difference in telemedicine use was seen in 2021 and 2024 for physicians with a medical specialty.

Telemedicine use decreased 6.6% in metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) from 2021 (86.7%) to 2024 (81.0%) and 26.9% in non-MSAs during the same period (83.3% to 60.9%). Telemedicine use also decreased in practices with two or more physicians, practices owned by a physician or physician group, and practices with other ownership types. Telemedicine use also declined between 2021 and 2024 among physicians who treated patients with Medicaid, treated patients with and without Medicare, or used a certified electronic health record (EHR) system.

Data source and methods

Data are from 2021 and 2024 NEHRS restricted data files. Public use versions are available (4,5). Response rates for the 2021 and 2024 NEHRS are 46.6% and 47.4%, respectively, calculated according to the American Association for Public Opinion Research's Response Rate 3 (6). NEHRS collects data from U.S. physicians. Results are based upon nationally representative weighted estimates of 1,875 office-based physicians in 2021 and 1,460 office-based physicians in 2024. The 2024 NEHRS included physicians practicing in non-office settings. For comparability, these physicians were omitted. Statistical differences between 2021 and 2024 are based on two-tailed significance tests (p < 0.05) and, unless otherwise noted, meet NCHS' reliability standards (7).

Telemedicine use was based on a yes response to the question, "Does your practice use telemedicine technology (e.g., audio, audio with video, web videoconference) for patient visits?" Prior research (1) used the "audio with video and web videoconference" definition. Primary care specialties included general or family practice, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology (primary care subspecialties), and pediatrics. Surgical specialties included general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology (surgical subspecialties), ophthalmology, orthopedic surgery, otolaryngology, urology, and other. Medical specialties included cardiovascular diseases, dermatology, neurology, psychiatry, and other. "Other" practice ownership included insurance company health plan or HMO, community health center, medical or academic health center, other hospital, other health care corporation, or some other entity ownership. A certified EHR system met the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services requirements necessary to meet the objectives of the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program (8).

References

  1. Myrick KL, McNeal M, DeFrances C. Quickstats: Percentage of office-based physicians using telemedicine technology, by specialty―United States, 2019 and 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2022 Dec 9;71(49):1565. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7149a6. PMID: 36480480; PMCID: PMC9762897.
  2. Mandal S, Wiesenfeld BM, Mann DM, Nov O. The "new" new normal: Changes in telemedicine utilization since COVID-19. Am J Manag Care. 2025 Mar;31(3):e74-e8. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.37765/ajmc.2025.89700. PMID: 40053411.
  3. Mandal S, Wiesenfeld BM, Mann D, Lawrence K, Chunara R, Testa P, Nov O. Evidence for telemedicine's ongoing transformation of health care delivery since the onset of COVID-19: Retrospective observational study. JMIR Form Res. 2022 Oct;6(10):e38661. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.2196/38661. PMID: 36103553.
  4. National Center for Health Statistics, Division of Health Care Statistics. 2021 National Electronic Health Records Survey (NEHRS): Public use file documentation. 2022. Available from: https://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/Dataset_Documentation/NEHRS/2021/NEHRS2021Doc-508.pdf.
  5. National Center for Health Statistics, Division of Health Care Statistics. 2024 National Electronic Health Records Survey (NEHRS) technical documentation. 2025. DOI. https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc/174636.
  6. American Association for Public Opinion Research. Standard definitions: Final dispositions of case codes and outcome rates for surveys. 10th ed. 2023. Available from: https://aapor.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Standards-Definitions-10th-edition.pdf.
  7. Parker JD, Talih M, Malec DJ, Beresovsky V, Carroll M, Gonzalez JF Jr, et al. National Center for Health Statistics data presentation standards for proportions. Vital Health Stat 2. 2017 Aug;(175):1−22. PMID: 30248016.
  8. National Center for Health Statistics, Division of Health Care Statistics. NEHRS questionnaires, datasets, and documentation. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nehrs/documentation/index.html.

Suggested citation

Myrick KL, Mahar M, Ward BW. Telemedicine use among office-based physicians in 2021 and 2024. NCHS Health E-Stat. 2026 Jun;(120):1−3. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc/252454.

Table

Table. Percentage of office-based physicians who use telemedicine, by selected physician and practice characteristics: United States, 2021 and 2024
Characteristic 2021 2024
Percent
(95% confidence interval) 		Standard
error 		Percent
(95% confidence interval) 		Standard
error
All physicians* 86.5 (83.7-89.0) 1.3 80.0 (77.7-82.2) 1.1
Specialty
Primary care* 91.4 (88.0-94.2) 1.5 86.2 (82.6-89.3) 1.7
Surgical* 74.8 (67.5-81.2) 3.4 60.1 (55.6-64.6) 2.2
Medical 87.2 (81.1-91.8) 2.6 83.2 (78.7-87.0) 2.0
Metropolitan statistical area (MSA)
MSA* 86.7 (83.7-89.4) 1.4 81.0 (78.6-83.2) 1.1
Non-MSA* 83.3 (74.9-89.9) 3.6 60.9 (47.8-72.9) 6.1
Number of physicians at practice
1 (solo practice) 76.3 (69.2-82.4) 3.2 70.6 (64.6-76.2) 2.9
2-10* 86.8 (82.6-90.4) 1.9 78.7 (75.2-81.9) 1.7
11 or more* 96.8 (93.9-98.6) 1.1 89.6 (85.9-92.5) 1.6
Practice ownership
Physician or physician group* 80.2 (75.9-84.1) 2.0 74.0 (70.6-77.2) 1.7
Other* 96.6 (94.6-98.1) 0.8 87.9 (84.8-90.7) 1.5
Treat patients insured with Medicaid
Yes* 88.1 (84.9-90.8) 1.5 80.7 (78.0-83.1) 1.3
No 81.4 (74.4-87.2) 3.1 76.3 (70.5-81.5) 2.7
Treat patients insured with Medicare
Yes* 86.2 (82.9-89.0) 1.5 80.3 (77.8-82.7) 1.2
No* 88.7 (82.4-93.3) 2.6 77.2 (70.1-83.3) 3.3
Uses a certified electronic health record system†
Yes* 88.8 (85.9-91.3) 1.3 81.5 (79.0-83.7) 1.2

* Significant difference between 2021 and 2024 (p < 0.05).
† Percentages of telemedicine use among physicians who do not use a certified electronic health record system are not presented, because they do not meet National Center for Health Statistics standards for reliability.
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Electronic Health Records Survey, 2021 and 2024.

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