Telemedicine Reduces Transportation and Greenhouse Emissions

Since I was a medical school student one thing I noticed early on was how many routine visits to the clinics where I worked were really a waste of the time for the patient. Often it was something that could have been handled over the phone – particulary follow-up visits. I thought to myself these people have to skip work and come here and wait until they’re seen – often just for a few minutes. At the time the effects of greenhouse pollutants had not really been at the forefront of my mind  but as it turns out the U.S. healthcare system is itself responsible for about 9% of national greenhouse gas emissions..

Now many years later with the evolution of technology – we have moved beyond just a follow-up phone call to video-enabled telemedicine which allows doctors and patients connect without meeting in person.

UCLA Study: Telemedicine Cuts Healthcare-Related CO₂ Emissions

A new UCLA study, Impact of Telemedicine Use on Outpatient-Related CO₂ Emissions, led by Benjo Delarmente, MD, PhD, MPP, and Artem Romanov, BA, found that telemedicine use helped avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 61,255 to 130,076 passenger vehicles per month.

Using nationwide multipayer claims data from 19% of U.S. insured adults, researchers estimated emissions averted by replacing in-person outpatient visits with telemedicine from April to June 2023. Extrapolating the data nationally, the study highlights telemedicine as a key strategy to reduce healthcare’s environmental impact.

What is Telemedicine? What made it take off?

So, telemedicine’s just a fancy way of saying people are seeing their doctors digitally. Given almost ubiquitous access to computers and mobile phones as well as video technology this way of visiting ones doctors, telemedicine usage surged dramatically after COVID-19 began.

Before the pandemic, telemedicine adoption was relatively slow and limited mostly to rural areas or specific specialties. But once COVID-19 hit in early 2020, in-person visits became risky or impossible due to lockdowns and infection control needs. In response, hospitals, clinics, and insurance companies rapidly expanded telehealth services. Regulatory changes, like temporary Medicare reimbursement expansions and loosened licensing rules, also helped telemedicine grow fast.

At its peak in mid-2020, telemedicine visits accounted for up to 30% to 50% of outpatient visits in many health systems. Usage has since declined from that peak but remains significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels. It’s now considered a core part of healthcare delivery, not just a niche option.

Telemedicine Growth Timeline:

• Pre-2020 (Before COVID-19):

  • Telemedicine made up less than 1% of outpatient visits in the U.S.

  • Mainly used in rural areas or for specialized follow-ups (like mental health).

• Early 2020 (COVID-19 Begins):

  • Nationwide lockdowns and clinic closures forced rapid adoption.

  • Medicare and private insurers temporarily expanded telehealth coverage.

  • HIPAA rules were relaxed to allow platforms like Zoom, FaceTime, etc.

• April 2020:

  • Telemedicine peaked at over 40% of all outpatient care visits nationwide.

  • Some systems (like NYU Langone) reported an 800% increase in telehealth visits in just weeks.

• Mid-to-Late 2020:

  • Hospitals and clinics invested heavily in telehealth infrastructure.

  • Patients became more comfortable with virtual care, especially for routine visits, mental health, and chronic disease management.

• 2021–2022:

  • Telemedicine use stabilized but stayed 15–20 times higher than pre-pandemic levels.

  • Certain specialties (psychiatry, dermatology, endocrinology) maintained particularly high virtual visit rates.

• 2023 and Beyond:

  • Even after the official end of the Public Health Emergency in May 2023, many insurers and healthcare systems kept telemedicine options permanent.

  • Telehealth is now considered a mainstream and essential part of healthcare.

Key Stats:

• Before COVID-19: About 11% of U.S. patients had ever used telehealth.

• Mid-2020: Over 46% of patients reported using telehealth.

• Post-2021: About 20%–30% of outpatient visits include a virtual component, depending on specialty.

• Mental health care: Over 50% of psychiatric and behavioral health visits are now virtual.

Cars and Their Carbon Footprint

Alright, let’s zoom in on what’s happening every time someone takes a car trip. The average car in the US or UK lets out about 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year. Each time you pop to the doctor’s office and back, your car’s adding some not-so-nice gases into the sky. Stack up all those trips we’ve avoided thanks to telemedicine? Pretty much like scrapping up to 130,000 car trips each month.

A Win for Society and the Economy, Too

Not only did more people begin getting easy health access, but wallets also started feeling lighter—in a good way! Fewer trips to the doctor’s meant cutting down on gas money. And for folks who live far from health services this was an even greater game-changer. Digital health services grew on folks. It became the norm, not the exception. And telemedicine leveled the healthcare field a bit. People who used to struggle with healthcare access suddenly found it right on their screen.

As Telemedicine continues to gain in acceptance and availability these numbers and the beneficial effects should only continue to increase.

Here’s to a win for the patients and the planet.