What is Telehealth?
Telehealth means getting health care through technology. It can be used for:
- Finding, treating, and preventing illness
- Helping health care workers talk with each other and with older patients
- Teaching older adults and health care providers
Telehealth can help more older adults get the care they need. It can connect geriatrics experts with patients in many places, even far-away areas.
Limitations of Telehealth
Not everyone can use telehealth. Some people do not have internet. Others are not sure how to use it, or are not interested. Older adults may also need hearing aids or glasses to use telehealth.
Types of Telehealth
Asynchronous Telehealth
This type of telehealth lets people share health information without talking in real time.
Secure Messaging
Secure messaging is part of many electronic health record systems. It lets patients send private messages to their health care team. This helps older adults stay in touch with their providers and feel more satisfied with their care. For example, secure messaging has helped people with diabetes better control their blood sugar.
Some older adults and their caregivers may need help learning to use secure messaging. People who understand health information better are more likely to find it useful.
Secure messaging is also used within health care teams. It helps providers quickly share updates about patients with complex needs.
E-Consults
E-consults let health care providers share information electronically about a patient. A primary care provider can get advice from a specialist. This saves the specialist time and helps the primary care provider give better care.
The patient may get faster access to specialist care. However, the patient usually does not take part in the discussion. This means the patient and their caregiver may miss the chance to ask the specialist questions or talk about the care plan.
There are not enough geriatrics-trained providers. E-consults can help these experts reach more older patients and improve their care. However, e-consults do not allow for a full geriatric check-up.
Synchronous Telehealth
This type of telehealth lets health care providers learn from and talk with each other in real time. Patients can also talk with providers in real time. This can happen by phone or video.
Telephone
Phone calls can be used to diagnose and treat patients. However, providers cannot do a visual exam by phone. In addition to regular health visits, phone calls can be used for:
- Mental health check-ups and therapy. This can help people in rural or underserved areas who have trouble getting mental health care.
- Checking fall risk, encouraging physical activity, helping people stop smoking, and managing pain.
Video Telehealth
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Medicare loosened its rules about video telehealth. This led to many more people using video visits. Live video appointments could happen in hospitals, nursing homes, ambulances, and other settings.
Video visits can:
- Help older adults in rural areas, or those who have trouble getting around, access geriatrics specialty care.
- Lower the risk of catching a contagious disease.
- Make appointments easier and let caregivers join from a different location.
One downside is that providers cannot do everything during a video visit that they could do in person.
Remote Patient Monitoring
Remote patient monitoring collects health data from patients while they are at home or in the community. This can range from sensors that track data all the time to patients reporting their own symptoms. Providers use this data to decide on the best treatment for each patient.
Funding of Geriatric Telehealth
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Medicare loosened its strict telehealth rules. This led to more people using phone and video visits through September 2025.
Starting October 1, 2025, Medicare has put stricter limits back on telehealth. Medicaid telehealth coverage is different in each state and may offer less coverage than private insurance.
Last Reviewed and Updated: October 2026
By: AGS/HiAF Public Education Committee, HealthinAging.org Content Reviewers