After hitting a high watermark at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the amount of telehealth visits has leveled out, though at markedly higher levels than before the crisis. 

New research from JLL shows that telehealth peaked at 52% of patient visits at the beginning of the pandemic and now stands at about 19% of patient visits. This heightened adoption "marks a secular change in the patient access model," according to JLL: younger generations are more willing to meet with healthcare providers virtually, with 67% of those surveyed between the ages of 18 and 29 saying they would likely meet with a provider virtually if an in-person visit were unavailable. And 73% of respondents between the ages of 30 and 59 say they would schedule a virtual visit.

So what does this mean for CRE? "Greater patient access will increase the relative demand for healthcare over time and drive additional real estate demand," JLL analysts say in the report, noting that nearly half of physicians reported working more hours this year than last year, owing largely to telehealth. And what's more, some industry estimates predict total patient volume will increase by nearly 20% by 2030.