Key Updates from the Health Center COVID-19 Survey (Week #29) Community Health Center Telehealth Utilization in Rural and Urban States During the COVID-19 Pandemic

With routine operations disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, many community health centers rapidly pivoted to providing telehealth or virtual visits. In 2019, less than half (43 percent) of community health centers reported using telemedicine to provide remote clinical care services, and virtual visits accounted for only 0.4 percent of the 122.8 million health center visits that year. This year, data from the Bureau of Primary Health Care’s Health Center COVID19 Survey indicate that the peak in health center telehealth utilization occurred the week of April 24th, when 54 percent of community health center visits, on average, were conducted virtually. This percentage had fallen by half as of October 16th, with virtual visits accounting for just over a quarter (26.7 percent) of visits that week.The data note is available here.