Study Finds Increased Telemedicine Appointments During Pandemic Greatly Reduced Monthly Carbon Dioxide Emissions

New research suggests that telemedicine use in 2023 “reduced monthly carbon dioxide emissions by the equivalent of up to 130,000 gas operated vehicles.”

The findings “suggest that telemedicine could have a modest but noticeable impact on the environment by decreasing the number of vehicles traveling to and from medical appointments.” One of the senior authors of the published findings suggests that the research could also have policy implications, as “Congress debates whether to extend or modify pandemic-era telehealth flexibilities.”

The U.S. health system currently “contributes about 9%, and transportation comprises about 29%, of greenhouse emissions in the country.” The researchers used data encompassing nearly 1.5 million telemedicine visits between April 1 and June 30, 2023. They then were able to determine that “CO2 emissions were reduced by between 21.4 million and 47.6 million kg each month in the U.S. due to telemedicine use.”

The study acknowledged some limitations, including the fact that the data studied was not a random selection but from a “single, easy to access source.” Telemedicine use has also fallen since 2023.