Adoption of Telemedicine Cuts Greenhouse Gas Emissions

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.

Benjo Delarmente, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues used multipayer claims data to estimate carbon dioxide (CO₂) 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.

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 were averted due to telemedicine use each month. When accounting for EV and public transportation use, 4 to 8.9 million kg of CO₂ were averted per month. When extrapolating to the entire U.S. adult population, an estimated 21.4 to 47.6 million kg of CO₂ in monthly emissions were averted, which is roughly equivalent to the monthly emissions of 61,255 to 130,076 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles.

“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.

Several authors disclosed ties to relevant organizations.

Abstract/Full Text