Growth in telehealth outpaces that of other avenues of care -- at least from 2016 to 2017

From 2016 to 2017, private insurance claim lines for services rendered via telehealth -- as a percentage of all medical claim lines -- grew 53 percent nationally, more than any other venue of care, according to FH Health Indicators, a white paper published by the nonprofit FAIR Health. Like the inaugural release a year ago, this year's edition is intended to assist the full spectrum of healthcare stakeholders by providing clarity in a rapidly changing healthcare environment. Focusing on alternative places of service -- retail clinics, urgent care centers, telehealth and ambulatory surgery centers -- as well as emergency rooms, the white paper evaluates changes in utilization, geographic and demographic factors, diagnoses, procedures and costs.