COVID-19 has cemented people’s preference for virtual care. Use of telehealth remains high after the spike in utilization caused by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

According to a new McKinsey survey, virtual care use appears to have stabilized at 13% to 17% of all visits — 38 times what it was prior to the pandemic. 

Patient comfort and satisfaction with virtual care has also increased substantially since early 2020: 40% of people surveyed indicated they intended to continue using telehealth — up from 11% before the pandemic. Survey results also indicate that many people want more robust virtual health tools that go beyond simple telehealth visits.

On the doctor side of the virtual care experience, most doctors — 84% as of April 2021 — continue to offer virtual visits. Additionally, their opinions of virtual care have improved: 58% view telehealth more favorably than they did before the pandemic. 

Virtual care trends certainly look positive for both patients and doctors, but we believe this is just the start. HealthTap is committed to ongoing improvement to both patients' and doctors' virtual care experiences, and we’re excited to offer more people convenient, affordable access to high-quality urgent care and primary care — wherever and whenever they need support.