Authors estimate aversions equivalent to the emissions of 61,255 to 130,076 passenger vehicles<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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THURSDAY, May 1, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Telemedicine use modestly decreases the carbon footprint of U.S. health care delivery, according to a study published online April 22 in the American Journal of Managed Care<\/em>.<\/p>\n Benjo Delarmente, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues used multipayer claims data to estimate carbon dioxide (CO2<\/sub>) emissions averted from the avoidance of travel by using telemedicine as a substitute for the usual source of in-person care between April 1, 2023, and June 30, 2023.<\/p>\n The researchers found that during the study period, there was a monthly average of 1,481,530 telemedicine visits (65,733 rural). An estimated 740,765 to 1,348,192 of these telemedicine visits were substitutes for in-person visits. When accounting for 2021 electric vehicle (EV) production share and emissions per mile, an estimated 4,075,065 and 7,489,486 kg of CO2<\/sub> were averted due to telemedicine use each month. When accounting for EV and public transportation use, 4 to 8.9 million kg of CO2<\/sub> were averted per month. When extrapolating to the entire U.S. adult population, an estimated 21.4 to 47.6 million kg of CO2<\/sub> in monthly emissions were averted, which is roughly equivalent to the monthly emissions of 61,255 to 130,076 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles.<\/p>\n “Policy makers and payers should recognize the positive environmental impact of telemedicine utilization when considering future policies that might impact access to, and reimbursement of, telemedicine,” the authors write.<\/p>\n Several authors disclosed ties to relevant organizations.<\/p>\n