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The Evaluation of Telehealth’s Impact on Medicare Annual Wellness Visits and Dementia Diagnosis
Zhang Zhang, Nancy Li Schoenborn, Katherine Miller, Jennifer Wolff, Daniel E. Polsky. Innovation in Aging, 2025-12-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Abstract Background Telehealth has emerged as an essential tool in modern healthcare, providing the potential for the early screening and diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). For example, telehealth enhances access to care and streamlines cognitive assessment during Medicare Annual Wellness Visits (AWVs). Our study aims to evaluate the impact of telehealth on AWV uptake using a large population dataset. Method We used the data from Traditional Medicare (TM) and Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. We applied a probit regression model to examine the relationship between telehealth adoption and AWV uptake among beneficiaries aged 65 and older continuously enrolled in traditional FFS plans or MA in 2020-2022. Results Preliminary analysis using 2020 TM data revealed that 39% of beneficiaries had ever adopted at least one telehealth visit. 7% of the AWVs were delivered via telehealth among those AWV adaptors. There was a significant increase in AWV uptake among telehealth users by 10.2 percentage points to non-telehealth users in the TM plan (p < 0.001). We will extend this analysis to MA beneficiaries, where we anticipate a more pronounced effect. MA likely has greater capabilities to manage health expenditures and provide resources, such as internet access and incentives for preventive care. Conclusions Our study underscores the role of telehealth in increasing AWV uptake and facilitating cognitive assessments. Telehealth holds promises for bridging the gaps in cognitive screening and enhancing early detection of MCI and ADRD, thereby supporting timely diagnosis and care planning.
Key findings
- Results Preliminary analysis using 2020 TM data revealed that 39% of beneficiaries had ever adopted at least one telehealth visit. 7% of the AWVs were delivered via telehealth among those AWV adaptors.
- There was a significant increase in AWV uptake among telehealth users by 10.2 percentage points to non-telehealth users in the TM plan (p < 0.001).
Why it matters
In Traditional Medicare, telehealth users had a 10.2 percentage point higher rate of Annual Wellness Visit uptake than non-users, and 7% of those visits were delivered by telehealth. This is a preliminary analysis of 2020 data only, and the researchers have not yet extended it to Medicare Advantage beneficiaries.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 30/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Innovation in Aging) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Innovation in Aging: journal h-index 48 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 0 / 7 | Cited 0 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.0 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 0 / 6 | Cited 0.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Daniel E. Polsky: h-index 58 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Johns Hopkins University: institution h-index 2,306 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 1 / 2 | Not in PubMed, but has a DOI |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 30 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Zhang, Z., Schoenborn, N. L., Miller, K., Wolff, J., & Polsky, D. E. (2025). The Evaluation of Telehealth’s Impact on Medicare Annual Wellness Visits and Dementia Diagnosis. Innovation in Aging. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaf122.378
Vancouver
Zhang Z, Schoenborn NL, Miller K, Wolff J, Polsky DE. The Evaluation of Telehealth’s Impact on Medicare Annual Wellness Visits and Dementia Diagnosis. Innovation in Aging. 2025. doi:10.1093/geroni/igaf122.378.
BibTeX
@article{zhang2025-2eee41e3,
author = {Zhang, Zhang and Schoenborn, Nancy Li and Miller, Katherine and Wolff, Jennifer and Polsky, Daniel E.},
title = {{The Evaluation of Telehealth’s Impact on Medicare Annual Wellness Visits and Dementia Diagnosis}},
journal = {Innovation in Aging},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1093/geroni/igaf122.378},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaf122.378}
}
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