5 important social benefits of telehealth

Every in-person healthcare appointment usually involves travel. Patients drive, take public transport or arrange specialist medical transport, often for relatively short consultations.

Virtual appointments remove a large portion of that travel. A study by US healthcare provider CommonSpirit estimated that the virtual visits it conducted between March 2020 and April 2021 prevented nearly 1.7 million gallons of fossil fuel from being burned and avoided more than 15,000 metric tonnes of carbon emissions.

The environmental impact goes beyond travel. Fewer in-person visits can also reduce the use of single-use materials, packaging and energy consumption within healthcare facilities.

While telehealth will never replace all physical appointments, a hybrid model of care can reduce the overall carbon footprint of healthcare delivery.

One of the clearest benefits of telehealth is improved access to care.

Patients living in rural or remote areas have traditionally faced long travel times to reach healthcare providers. Telehealth allows them to attend consultations without needing to travel long distances, provided they have access to a digital device and internet connection.

It also makes specialist care more accessible. Patients can be referred to clinicians based in different cities or regions without needing to travel.

For example, tele-dentistry programmes in rural Australia have used intraoral cameras to transmit live images to dentists located elsewhere. Similar approaches are used in speech therapy and other specialist services, allowing patients to access care that may not exist locally.

Telehealth also makes it easier for healthcare providers to offer more flexible appointment times. Evening or out-of-hours consultations can fit around work, family commitments and other responsibilities that might otherwise make attending an appointment difficult.

Healthcare access often comes with hidden costs. Travel, time off work, childcare and accommodation can all add to the financial burden of attending in-person appointments.

For patients managing long-term conditions, these costs can add up quickly. Replacing some in-person visits with virtual consultations, supported by remote monitoring devices where appropriate, can significantly reduce the overall cost of care.

Health insurers have also started to respond. In the United States and several other markets, “virtual-first” health plans now offer patients digital consultations as the default entry point into care. These plans often come with lower premiums while still providing access to in-person care when needed. (McKinsey Consumer Health Insights Survey, June 2021).

As these models mature, telehealth is likely to remain part of broader efforts to make healthcare more affordable and accessible.

Telehealth also has implications for diversity and representation in healthcare, particularly in areas such as clinical research.

Clinical trials have historically struggled to recruit diverse participant groups. Travel requirements, time commitments and access to trial sites can make participation difficult for many people.

Remote or hybrid trial models can help address some of these barriers. Digital tools allow researchers to conduct parts of the study remotely, reduce the number of in-person visits, and work with local healthcare professionals closer to where participants live.

This approach can widen the pool of potential participants and make research more representative of real-world populations.

Telehealth also improves access for people with mobility challenges, compromised immune systems, or conditions that make travel difficult. Being able to consult a healthcare professional from home can remove significant practical and physical barriers.

In some areas of healthcare, telehealth can improve engagement with services and reduce missed appointments.

Mental health is one example. When someone is experiencing anxiety, stress or a crisis, travelling to a physical appointment can feel like an additional hurdle. Speaking to a clinician through a video call or digital chat may feel more manageable in that moment.

Healthcare providers have reported lower “no-show” rates for some virtual mental health appointments compared with in-person sessions.

Telehealth can also help reduce social stigma in certain areas of care. Patients may feel more comfortable accessing services related to mental health, sexual health or reproductive health if they can do so privately from home.

For some groups, convenience also plays a major role. Being able to attend an appointment without disrupting the rest of the day can make it easier to stay engaged with ongoing care.

Telehealth is not a replacement for every type of healthcare interaction. Many treatments, examinations and procedures will always require in-person care.

What we are now seeing is the emergence of hybrid healthcare models. Patients move between virtual and physical care depending on what they need, with digital tools supporting ongoing communication, monitoring and follow-up.

When designed well, telehealth services can remove friction from the healthcare journey and make it easier for people to access care when they need it.