Telehealth Usage is down from Pandemic Era, but going up and a quick recap of This week's Health Leaders Summit in Vegas

Hi Reader,

I just got back from a Healthcare Leaders Summit in Las Vegas put on by the marcus evans group. What a wonderful opportunity to learn about the future of Healthcare and sit down and talk with Healthcare Leaders who are really doing amazing things in their roles as CEOs, SVPs and more. The way they tirelessly work to improve the lives of their patients and staff while navigating challenges with less revenue and more regulations is inspiring. One of those inspiring leaders is Alvin Lin, Vice President of Ambulatory Care Transformation and Innovation at SBH Health System, who helped launch the SBH Health and Wellness Center in the Bronx. Read more about his story here.

After great presentations and dozens of inspiring conversations, I was curious about the overall usage of Telehealth in Health Care today. Today's newsletter focuses mainly on behavioral health, but I look forward to sharing about Telehealth use in other disciplines in the near future.

1. Telehealth use, Declining or Rising?

This is where the numbers get tricky. Taking Pandemic era Telehealth use out of the equation, Numbers are still very strong for Telehealth demand. As an overall percentage of Mental and Behavioral Health sessions, the usage of Telehealth declined slightly, but the demand for services has never been greater. The total number of Telehealth visits continues to increase. According to Epic Research, the research arm of the giant EHR company, Epic, the most accurate characterization of Telehealth use in 2024 and 2025 is: a post pandemic pullback followed by consistent and substantial usage of Telehealth.

Sources:

​https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11954557/​

​https://www.epicresearch.org/articles/telehealth-utilization-has-stabilized-mental-health-departments-continue-to-see-highest-rates/​

What this means for you: If you started Telehealth use because you were forced to back in 2020, it's not going away. Many aspects of Telehealth have changed and the demand is still there. Telehealth is no longer a just a necessity but needs to be treated as a primary way to increase patient outcomes, patient satisfaction and revenue.

2. Clinical fit and the therapeutic relationship influence the choice

Virtual care’s convenience does not make it the preferred format for every patient or every encounter. A review of hybrid mental-health practice found that patients often prefer Telehealth for convenience, while in-person appointments are sometimes clinically indicated or personally preferred. It's important to match the appointment format to the patient.

The mix of conditions matters, too. Trilliant’s 2026 report found that 52.6% of anxiety-disorder visits occurred in person, compared with 82.2% of alcohol- and substance-use-disorder visits. An organization’s virtual visit trend can look very different depending on whom it treats.

What this means for you: Don't dismiss the importance of Telehealth in your organization or treat is add an add on. Commit to providing the best possible virtual care in a way that is easy for providers and patients and you will see your organization grow and serve more people. Consult with experts in the field like us and you can save time and make more money while utilizing Telehealth the right way.

The takeaway

For a strong behavioral health organization, Telehealth should remain a core care-delivery capability—not a pandemic-era add-on. Telehealth remains an important way to deliver mental-health treatment. The strategic opportunity is to integrate virtual and in-person services around patient preference and clinical need, rather than maximize either format alone.

A strong organization should:

• Preserve access and choice. Use Telehealth’s convenience alongside in-person care, matching the format to each patient’s needs and preferences.
• Build a financially sustainable model. Verify payer contracts and reimbursement by service and visit format; coverage does not automatically mean payment equal to an office visit, but won't cost as much either.
• Evaluate the combined care model. Track access, engagement, clinical outcomes, and financial performance across virtual and in-person services—not virtual visit volume alone.

Make Telehealth a deliberate part of an integrated behavioral-health strategy, with success defined by accessible, effective, sustainable care—not by the percentage of appointments delivered online.

Don't miss next Tuesday, the Telehealth Tip concludes our behavioral health tech series with "Security and AI" Everyone wants the AI note-taker. Fewer people want to read the fine print about where the recordings go. We’ll do it for you.

Questions? Hit reply. I read every one.

Talk soon,
Dan

P.S. Behavioral Health Leaders: Not sure where your organization stands? The Virtual Care Operations Assessment shows you exactly what’s working, what’s exposed, and what to fix before 2027, in just 2 weeks. Spots are limited, learn more and​ sign up today! or work with us for 6 months on implementation and get the Virtual Care Operations Assessment for Free!!! Available for select organizations only so book a call now to see if you're a fit.

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