Telehealth is no longer a future concept, it’s a foundational part of contemporary patient care. Since its pandemic-driven rise, it has matured into a vital care delivery model. On Sermo, telehealth continues to spark lively debate, from practical integration to long-term innovation. Physicians across specialties cite its benefits in expanding access, reducing patient burden, and supporting continuity of care.
In 2025, telehealth accounted for 23% of all U.S. healthcare encounters with virtual visits surpassing 50% in select specialties, confirming its shift from novelty to necessity. This guide consolidates real-world perspectives, Sermo community insights, and third-party data to equip physicians with an up-to-date, practical understanding of telehealth’s role and potential.
What is telehealth and telemedicine?
According to Sermo’s analysis of physician attitudes, telemedicine is one of the most widely discussed advancements in modern healthcare delivery. It enables remote consultations, diagnostics, and follow-ups across specialties and is especially prominent in general practice, dermatology, psychiatry, and chronic disease care. See How Telehealth Technology is Transforming Virtual Healthcare for deeper insights from the Sermo community.
Telehealth refers to a broad set of remote healthcare services delivered at a distance, including:
- Video consultations
- Integration with wearable devices
- Communication via messaging apps
- AI-powered triage systems or symptom-checkers
Telemedicine, on the other hand, specifically refers to remote clinical services such as diagnosing and treating patients through virtual means.
These technologies are no longer viewed as temporary solutions. For many physicians and healthcare systems, they’ve become permanent and essential tools for delivering care.
Real-world examples include:
- A GP assessing skin irritation via secure video call
- A cardiologist reviewing ECG data collected by a wearable device
- A nurse practitioner managing hypertension check-ins through a smartphone app
- A remote care team coordinating post-operative monitoring and education
Advanced remote care now includes AI-supported imaging review, wearable diagnostics, and asynchronous messaging. All of which can reduce patient wait times and improve triage efficiency by up to 45%.
Remote monitoring has expanded dramatically through AI-enabled wearables that proactively flag cardiovascular, diabetic, and hypertensive risk in real time. For more examples and physician perspectives, explore our article on How Telehealth Technology is Transforming Virtual Healthcare.
The physician experience: workflow, wellbeing, and adaptation
“During the pandemic, telemedicine allowed us to continue seeing patients when physical access was impossible. Now it’s an essential part of our workflow.” – Sermo member and family medicine physician.
Flexibility and work-life balance
Many physicians report improved professional satisfaction due to flexible scheduling. Telehealth reduces commute times and offers the ability to structure patient consults around personal commitments, which is especially beneficial in combating burnout. AI-based tools such as automated scribing and documentation assistants now reduce after-hours work burden by up to 30%
For more context and detailed data on the benefits of scheduling and work-life balance, read Telehealth: Key Insights for Physicians.
Expanded reach and revenue
Virtual visits remove geographical barriers, enabling practices to expand their patient base, particularly in underserved or rural areas. Some physicians also supplement their income with part-time telehealth work.
Enhanced collaboration across teams
Physicians on Sermo frequently cite improved communication and collaborative workflows as a leading benefit of telehealth. Multidisciplinary teams can now share notes, images, and updates in real-time, enhancing care continuity and decision-making.
Delve into additional commentary and data regarding the enhancement of collaboration across teams in The Future of Telemedicine.
Administrative burden
Physicians who use telemedicine more frequently tend to complete more EHR documentation after hours, a phenomenon known as “Work Outside Work”. Without efficient tools, this can lead to fatigue and burnout.
Training gaps and workflow integration
New platform adoption can disrupt clinical routines if onboarding and integration support is lacking. With differing maturity levels within healthcare institutions there are likely to be areas of friction in delivering AI solutions within clinical practices of different shapes and sizes.
Adapting to limitations
Sermo discussions reveal ongoing tension between the convenience of telehealth and the irreplaceability of hands-on exams. Many physicians continue to express concern over diagnostic limitations and the need for appropriate patient triage. The consensus, however, points to a hybrid model that bridges gaps and supports physician decision making.
More context around the benefits of a hybrid telehealth model can be found in Telehealth: Key Insights for Physicians.
Telehealth cannot fully replace the physical exam. However, AI-assisted diagnostics now support interpretation of images, labs, and symptoms, helping to reduce diagnostic errors.
Patient impact and chronic disease management
A 2024 meta-analysis of telehealth outcomes found that virtual care improves glycemic control in diabetic patients and reduces readmissions and emergency visits across chronic conditions. In this way, telehealth supports access, improves outcomes, and enhances convenience for patients with chronic conditions.
- Treatment adherence improved by 67% in practices with strong telehealth programs.
- Preventive care compliance rose by 73%, and travel burdens for rural patients fell by 92%.
- Specialist wait times dropped by 84%, allowing for faster diagnoses and treatment planning.
AI-powered mental health platforms reduce stigma and have expanded access to psychiatric support, especially among younger, digitally native populations.
Discover more about the dual benefits of telehealth in The Benefits and Advantages of Telehealth for Doctors and Patients.
Challenges and limitations
“I worry that we’re missing subtle but important physical cues during remote consultations. Not everything can be seen through a screen.” – Sermo member and internist
Despite its many benefits, telehealth poses ongoing challenges for physicians and patients alike:
- Diagnostic Accuracy: Virtual visits may limit a physicians’ ability to perform thorough assessments, often requiring follow-up in-person care.
- Workflow Disruption: Switching between virtual and in-person appointments can create scheduling inefficiencies and disrupt clinical flow.
- Technological Barriers: Physicians need user-friendly, integrated platforms that can co-exist with EHRs.
- Regulatory Complexity: Licensure and billing requirements vary by region or state, which can complicate reimbursement and compliance.
- After-Hours Workload: Without automation, telehealth can increase after-hours EHR tasks.
- Digital Divide: Disparities in digital literacy and access remain, especially in underserved communities. Device loans and inclusive platform design are key.
See how Telemedicine Accessibility affects integration for deeper insight.
Patient trust, communication & virtual etiquette
Effective virtual care isn’t just about technology; it’s also about trust. Many physicians on Sermo highlight the importance of adjusting communication strategies in virtual environments. Maintaining eye contact through the camera, actively listening, and taking time to explain diagnoses clearly are key practices for building rapport.
“It’s harder to gauge body language, so I have to work twice as hard to listen and pick up on verbal cues,” noted a Sermo member. These strategies are especially important during sensitive discussions such as mental health assessments or the delivery of difficult news.
For more on physician communication adjustments, see Benefits and Advantages of Telehealth.
Telehealth for underserved & at-risk populations
Sermo’s Telemedicine Accessibility article underscores the digital divide as a significant barrier to care. While telehealth expands access in theory, many patient populations, including elderly individuals, those without internet access, or people with disabilities continue to face challenges.
Strategies discussed include:
- Device-lending programs and subsidies
- Simplified interfaces and multilingual support
- Digital literacy initiatives via community clinics or health departments
Sermo members emphasize that without these accommodations, telehealth risks widening rather than narrowing healthcare gaps.
Onboarding & educating patients for telehealth
Several Sermo community members point out that patients often feel unprepared for virtual visits, which can disrupt the flow and efficiency of care. The solution? Better onboarding.
Examples of best practices include:
- Sending pre-visit instructions (such as camera placement and privacy setup)
- Using virtual waiting rooms with helpful prompts
- Providing how-to videos and multilingual setup guides
“Tech glitches aren’t just annoying—they can derail clinical flow. Preparation is key,” wrote a primary care physician on this topic.
To get a further glimpse into how physicians are implementing telehealth best practices, see How Telehealth Technology is Transforming Virtual Healthcare.
Future trends & tools
“We’ve started integrating wearable data into our chronic care follow-ups. It’s not perfect, but it’s a helpful layer for early detection.” – Sermo member and endocrinologist
Innovations in digital health are expanding what’s possible beyond the virtual visit, with tools that support prevention, personalization, and continuous care.
Emerging technologies
- Conversational AI: When supervised by clinicians, conversational AI tools achieve up to 95% patient satisfaction. They’re helping triage symptoms, answer routine questions, and streamline follow-ups. Explore use cases in Conversational AI for Healthcare.
- Predictive Analytics: AI can identify high-risk patients for early intervention by analyzing patient data.
- Remote Monitoring: Wearable devices support ongoing chronic condition management by recording real-time changes.
- AI-Driven Diagnostics: AI-powered tools use pattern recognition to assist in early disease detection and support better decision-making.
- Mental Health Bots: These have improved access to and engagement with support resources for patients in remote areas or those with limited availability for in-person care.
Best-in-class platforms
Sermo’s review of top-performing telehealth platforms highlights the features most valued by physicians—from intuitive UX and integration to aftercare support. According to independent benchmarks and Sermo’s article on the Best Telemedicine Platforms and Companies for 2025, below are several telemedicine platforms for physicians to consider:
| Platform | Key Features | Best For |
| Doxy.me | Free, HIPAA-compliant, browser-based | Solo/small practices |
| Teladoc | 24/7, AI-assisted triage, multi-specialty support | Health systems, enterprises |
| SimplePractice | EHR + scheduling + therapy-friendly tools | Mental health professionals |
| Mend | Patient self-scheduling, deep EHR integration | Complex, customizable workflows |
| Updox | Centralized comms + strong UX | Practices emphasizing patient comms |
| VCDoctor | All-in-one virtual care platform | Modern, full-featured practices |
When considering telehealth solutions, it is important to consider the most appropriate technology based on your specialty, digital maturity and the needs of your patient. For example, while both pediatricians and geriatricians can use telehealth effectively, the services offered, technologies used, and clinical focus often differ due to the unique needs of each population.
FAQs
Physician queries within the Sermo community frequently reflect nuanced trade-offs between convenience, quality, and patient rapport. These frequently asked questions consolidate those recurring threads:
Telemedicine refers to clinical services delivered remotely. Telehealth includes those services plus education, monitoring, and admin support.
Psychiatry, dermatology, endocrinology, primary care, and chronic disease management.
Yes. Practices report lower no-show rates, reduced infrastructure costs, and fewer emergency visits, with average per-patient savings of $235.
No. Most physicians support a hybrid model combining the best of both. Read more in The Future of Telemedicine.
Conclusion: integration, not replacement
Telehealth is not a stopgap. It is a foundational component of modern, hybrid healthcare. With proven results in cost, access, and patient engagement, physicians who blend clinical expertise with digital tools will lead the future of care.
As telehealth drives $42 billion in annual savings and reduces ED visits by 44%, its role in addressing systemic healthcare challenges grows stronger every year. For technology advancements supporting this transformation, see Advances in Medical Technology: 2025 and Beyond and The Importance of Healthcare Technology.
Related Reading:
Interested in what’s next for virtual care? Explore more Sermo articles on telehealth, telemedicine, and how care delivery is changing:
