Talking to a psychologist by phone (as opposed to by videoconference or in person) is preferred by a sizable number of patients. Audio-only telehealth, or telehealth via telephone, is consistently the second most popular form of telehealth among licensed psychologists who provide telehealth services, just after videoconferencing. In 2021, two thirds of psychologists (67%) were conducting telehealth services by phone. By 2023, this percentage fell but remained high: More than 2 in 5 psychologists (43%) treated patients by phone.
In 2023, nearly 7 in 10 licensed psychologists used audio-only telehealth services when treating adults (ages 26 to 49: 69%; ages 50 to 64: 69%; and ages 65 and older: 66%). In contrast, only 42% of psychologists used audio-only telehealth to treat adults ages 18 to 25, while 11% of psychologists treated adolescents by phone, and just 4% treated children by phone. Patient preference was the most reported reason for using audio-only telehealth (66%), followed by use of telephone as a backup option for video telehealth (48%), and patient connectivity issues or lack of broadband access (44%). Findings indicate that audio-only telehealth is an important tool in professional practice to meet patients’ needs.
