One of the major positive changes in care delivery during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is the surge in telemedicine use. Because telemedicine eliminates the risk of viral transmission during travel and in the clinical setting, it has been a valuable tool for maintaining patient access to care for health issues both related and not related to COVID-19.
Sudden and substantial increases in the use of telemedicine during the pandemic occurred in Australia, Canada, and the US. At its peak in April 2020, telemedicine was responsible for 38% (5 786 315 of 16 672 010) of all ambulatory visits among Australia’s Medicare program,1 42% (2 138 940 of 5 109 843) of all ambulatory visits for individuals insured by a US commercial insurer,2 and 77% (3 194 107 of 4 161 582) of all ambulatory visits among people in Ontario, Canada. Since that peak there has been a decline in telemedicine use across the 3 nations, but use remains substantially higher than prepandemic levels. Many telemedicine visits were via telephone, making up 90% of the telemedicine visits in Canada and Australia.