Outpatient visits remained stable to end 2020, but some specialties continue to see drastic volume decreases from their baseline, according to a Feb. 22 report from The Commonwealth Fund.
Here are 11 specialties that saw volume decreases for the last three weeks of 2020:
Pediatrics: 24 percent
Physical medicine and rehabilitation: 11 percent
Pulmonology: 11 percent
ENT: 11 percent
Behavioral health: 10 percent
Cardiology: 6 percent
Allergy: 6 percent
Neurology: 4 percent
Gastroenterology: 4 percent
Orthopedics: 2 percent
Dermatology: 2 percent
Here are eight specialties that saw volume increases for the last three weeks of 2020:
Obstetrics: 1 percent
Surgery: 1 percent
Ophthalmology: 3 percent
Oncology: 3 percent
Endocrinology: 4 percent
Adult primary care: 5 percent
Urology: 6 percent
Rheumatology: 8 percent
View the entire report here.
Note: The report looked at the last three full weeks of 2020 compared to the baseline week of March 1-7, 2020, and did not include weeks with holidays. Volumes reflect in-person and telemedicine visits but do not include visits with nurse practitioners or physician assistants. The Commonwealth Fund is liberal-leaning.