Telehealth provides a convenient and accessible way to access healthcare for certain physical and mental health issues. It particularly helps people in medically underserved areas get care.

Telehealth, or telemedicine, is a form of healthcare that allows you to receive care without going to a doctor’s office. It allows you to access healthcare remotely through:

  • video
  • audio
  • messaging service

Telehealth may also include technology used at in-person appointments to connect you to a healthcare professional in another location.

You can use telehealth for:

  • some routine appointments
  • mental health care
  • follow-up appointments
  • illnesses that aren’t severe
  • medication management

However, not every type of appointment is suitable for virtual care.

Keep reading to learn about some of the uses and benefits of telehealth and which health issues usually require in-person care.

Telehealth allows you to access care remotely. It’s beneficial for certain types of appointments, including:

  • mental health care, such as talk therapy
  • follow-up care to manage a chronic condition, such as migraine, psoriatic arthritis, or overactive bladder
  • appointments to discuss test results and next steps
  • routine health appointments, such as appointments to access birth control
  • mild to moderate illnesses, especially those that you can do an at-home test for, like COVID-19
  • medication management, including making changes to existing prescriptions or addressing medication side effects

You may also be able to use telehealth through a facilitated appointment at a nearby walk-in clinic or facility. Facilitated appointments can help you:

  • access healthcare professionals, such as specialists, who aren’t local to your area
  • get an appointment quicker by accessing healthcare professionals who have openings but are not located near you
  • get in-office testing, such as for strep throat, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), or the flu

These appointments involve a telehealth facilitator, such as a nurse, supporting the visit by conducting testing and communicating the results to a doctor or nurse practitioner who can review the results and prescribe treatment. The doctor or nurse practitioner may use special technology connected virtually to the remote healthcare professional. They may use digital equipment, such as a stethoscope, thermometer, or pulse oximeter, so that the healthcare professional can view the results in real time.

Telehealth is not appropriate for emergencies. You need to seek immediate in-person care for life threatening situations.

Telehealth may not be appropriate for all types of health appointments, especially those that require emergency care or testing that can’t be done remotely. Health issues that are best served by in-person care can include:

Before booking a telehealth appointment, it’s important to ensure your insurance covers the service. Otherwise, you may have to pay more than you would for a covered in-person appointment. You’ll need to verify that your plan covers telehealth for:

  • the type of visit you’re scheduling
  • your geographic location
  • your healthcare professional’s geographic location

You can usually find this information by calling the number on the back of your insurance card or visiting the plan’s website.

If you have Medicare, note that telehealth may not be covered for all locations and types of telehealth services after September 2025, even if it was covered before that date.

Telehealth includes many types of technology-assisted medical services.

Synchronous telehealth

Synchronous telehealth involves care you receive virtually in real time. Examples may include:

  • a virtual medical appointment with a healthcare professional
  • an audio medical appointment with a healthcare professional
  • a phone call or virtual mental health appointment, such as a therapy appointment
  • a facilitated virtual visit, which involves having an appointment at an accessible site with a facilitator to perform testing while connecting remotely with an off-site healthcare professional

Asynchronous telehealth

Asynchronous telehealth occurs outside of real time. This can include:

  • sending secure messages to a healthcare professional
  • compiling health information, such as images or video, to send to a healthcare professional
  • a virtual review of pathology reports or other test results

Remote monitoring

Telehealth also includes remote monitoring, such as:

  • tracking your health data on a virtual telehealth platform
  • a healthcare professional reviewing test results and other health information
  • healthcare professionals remotely monitoring wearable devices, such as those that track your heart or brain activity

Telehealth grew significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to get care without risking exposure to the virus that causes it or exposing others to it. However, it has many other benefits, which include:

  • convenience, as you can receive care from home, work, or somewhere else, often without needing to travel to a healthcare facility
  • accessibility, if traveling to a healthcare facility is too far or too difficult for you
  • quicker care, including possibly waiting less time for an appointment
  • getting access to a specialist who may not be available in your area
  • reducing the risk of infection

Many of these factors may also increase the likelihood of people scheduling an appointment with a healthcare professional.

Telehealth provides a convenient option that allows people to access healthcare services remotely.

You can use telehealth for many types of appointments to support your physical and mental health. However, certain types of appointments may still require in-person examination, testing, or care.

It’s also best to make sure your insurance plan covers telehealth, as the coverage rules around virtual care can vary by plan.