Outpatient Visits Rebound, Yet Remain a Third Lower Than Before COVID-19
The number of visits to ambulatory care practices has rebounded since April after a 60% drop in mid-March (HPW 05/18/20, p. 7), according to a recently updated analysis by researchers at Harvard University and health care technology company Phreesia. The visit rebound occurred across the nation, but the South Central census division — Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas — saw the greatest growth. The number of telehealth visits rose dramatically during the height of the pandemic, accounting for 14% of total outpatient visits during the baseline week of March 1-7, but have decreased slightly since mid-April. The decline in outpatient visits remained largest among surgical and procedural specialties and pediatrics.
