Telehealth/Teletherapy Statistics

According to research by Software Advice, 75% of survey respondents are interested in trying telemedicine.

How does telehealth impact individuals every day? There is growing awareness and support for mental health conditions. However, one in every five US adults is diagnosed with a mental health disorder every year. Additionally, another 56% of Americans who have a mental health condition do not get adequate treatment.

Though there are many reasons that impact if someone receives proper treatment, one very important factor in this statistic is access to care. As of December 2017, there are 5,042 designated mental health shortage areas across the United States, leaving over 120 million people without access to proper mental health services.

This is where telehealth comes into play.  Teletherapy is an important (although not the only) step in correcting this statistic and offering care to those who need it most. Studies have consistently shown the positive benefits virtual mental health services can have on individuals.

A study comparing teletherapy to in-person consultation found that 96% of telepsychiatry patients were satisfied with their online sessions. In addition, telepsychiatry clients showed significant improvement on a pre and post sessions mental health screening researchers administered.

Another large scale study done by Johns Hopkins consisting of 98,609 participants found that individuals who were enrolled in the VA’s telemental health services were less likely to be hospitalized for mental health conditions. Telehealth patients saw a 26.6% decrease in the number of hospital admissions and days of acute hospitalization from 2006-2010.

Telehealth’s benefits aren’t only restricted to clients, they extend providers as well. When a board-certified psychiatrist chose to use telemedicine technology inside her practice for the comfort, convenience and personalized care it provided to her patients, she was able to extend her care by more than 550 visits and increased her practice’s earnings by $48,000 along the way. These statistics help us get a more grounded view of the real world benefits teletherapy has to offer our communities.