March 3, 2026  –Telemedicine may help reduce the number of follow-up medical visits and overall health care spending, according to new research examining how patients use health system services after an initial appointment.

A recent analysis found that patients who began care with a telemedicine visit had 23% fewer follow-up visits during the following 30 days compared with patients who started care with an in-person appointment. Researchers also observed that telemedicine episodes were associated with significantly lower overall charges during the same period.

The study evaluated health care utilization after visits related to 10 common medical conditions that are frequently managed through telemedicine. Researchers compared outcomes for patients who received their initial care through either a virtual visit or a traditional in-person appointment.

Data for the analysis came from an academic health system in Pennsylvania that includes five hospitals. The study examined 163,308 patient visits that occurred between January 1 and April 30, 2024.

Researchers defined each care episode as the time period beginning seven days before the initial visit and extending 30 days afterward. This timeframe allowed investigators to capture additional health system use, including follow-up appointments and related services.

The findings showed that telemedicine visits were linked to lower total charges across the entire episode of care. The average 30-day episode charge for patients who began care through telemedicine was $96.60. By comparison, patients who had in-person visits had an average episode charge of $509.21.

The number of follow-up visits also differed between the two groups. Patients who started care through telemedicine averaged 3.44 follow-up encounters during the episode window. Patients who initially received in-person care averaged 4.44 visits.

Researchers found that telemedicine visits produced lower charges for most of the conditions examined in the study. Some of the largest cost differences appeared in cases involving symptom-based or unclear diagnoses.

The authors suggest that telemedicine may help health systems manage clinical resources more efficiently by reducing the need for additional follow-up care in certain situations. However, they also note that further research is needed to better understand how virtual care affects outcomes across different types of conditions and patient populations.