Telemedicine's Rise During COVID-19 Spurs Value Reevaluation
Washington, D.C., Wednesday, 5 November 2025.
Telemedicine’s expansion during COVID-19 raised key questions about its impact on patient care and equity, necessitating a reevaluation to ensure continued accessibility and quality for diverse populations.
The Rise of Telemedicine
The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed a dramatic surge in telemedicine usage, fundamentally transforming healthcare delivery across various specialties. During this period, telehealth served as a crucial lifeline, particularly for palliative care, demonstrating significant improvements in symptom control and quality of life for patients with oncology, kidney failure, and heart failure [1]. The expiration of Medicare telehealth flexibilities in September 2025 marks a pivotal moment for telemedicine’s future, necessitating a reevaluation of its role in healthcare [1].
Telehealth’s Impact on Equity and Access
Telehealth offers promising opportunities to enhance healthcare access, particularly for rural, vulnerable, and underserved communities. By facilitating remote consultations, telemedicine can reduce unnecessary patient transfers and improve resource efficiency in hospitals [2]. However, the digital divide and varying levels of technical literacy remain significant barriers, potentially exacerbating existing healthcare disparities if not adequately addressed [1].
Challenges in Telehealth Implementation
Despite its benefits, telehealth presents challenges such as clinician burnout, attributed to the ‘always-on’ demand of virtual care, leading to staffing challenges and high turnover rates [3]. Strategies to mitigate these issues include balancing clinician workload and engaging front-line leaders in workload planning [3]. Furthermore, ethical considerations such as maintaining patient privacy, dignity, and ensuring meaningful human interaction are critical to the successful implementation of telehealth [1].
The Future of Telemedicine
As telemedicine continues to evolve, its integration with traditional healthcare models will be crucial. Innovations such as tele-nephrology have already demonstrated their value in reducing unnecessary transfers and enhancing access in underserved areas [4]. The projected growth of the telehealth market, set to expand significantly by 2035, underscores the potential of telemedicine to revolutionize healthcare delivery [5]. As the sector expands, ongoing evaluation of telehealth’s impact on patient care and system efficiency will be essential to ensure it meets the diverse needs of the population [1].