Patients Often Lack Choice Regarding Care Via Telehealth

In a nationally representative study of 2071 adults in the US, researchers from RAND Corporation and Harvard University identified and interviewed 571 adults who used behavioral health services during the prior year, including 26 who had been treated for bipolar disorder or depression during February and March 2023.1 Patients were asked if they thought they had a choice of methods for conducting visits for medication and therapy services, and how the decision to use a particular method was made.

Approximately one-third of patients receiving medication or therapy saw clinicians who did not offer both telehealth and in-person care, 9% reported their clinicians only offered in-person care, and 22% said their clinicians only offered telepsychiatry. More importantly, 32% said they did not typically receive care via their preferred method, and nearly half (45%) did not think their clinician considered their preferences when deciding on the visit type.