Where telehealth will have the most staying power: Healthcare leaders weigh in

In the year ahead, nearly one-fourth of healthcare leaders anticipate increased telehealth usage to have one of the biggest impacts on the healthcare industry, according to a new Definitive Healthcare report. 

For its 2020 Healthcare Trends Survey, data firm Definitive Healthcare polled 2,300 industry leaders on the trends they predict will have the greatest impact on the healthcare industry in the next 12 months. In addition to revenue loss due to the pandemic (36.5 percent) and implications of delayed care (24 percent), increased telehealth usage also topped the list for 23.2 percent of respondents. 

Here are the five areas where telehealth will have the most staying power for the rest of the year, according to the respondents. 

• Routine care for chronic conditions: 54.9 percent 
• Cold, flu and infectious disease screening: 14.6 percent 
• Mental and behavioral health: 14.4 percent 
• Hospital discharge follow-up: 7.7 percent 
• Post-surgical care: 3.5 percent