Telehealth Trends in 2025: What International Nurses Need to Know Before Working in the U.S.

As virtual care continues to reshape the American healthcare system, international nurses considering U.S. nursing jobs need to understand how telehealth is actually being used at the bedside, in clinics, and across health systems. NurseContact, a digital marketplace that connects international nurses to U.S. employers through a streamlined hiring process, closely tracks these trends to help nurses make informed career decisions.

Recent data from nonprofit Fair Health reveals a subtle but important shift: after an uptick in October 2024, telehealth utilization in the U.S. declined in October 2025 at the national level, with one key exception—the Midwest. For nurses planning to immigrate to the U.S., these differences by region, age group, and care setting could influence job roles, training needs, and long‑term career paths in American healthcare.

Below is a breakdown of the latest telehealth trends and what they mean for international nurses exploring U.S. opportunities through platforms like NurseContact.

1. National Telehealth Use Dipped in October 2025

Across the United States, overall telehealth utilization experienced a small decline in October 2025. The share of patients with at least one telehealth claim dropped from 14.7% in September to 14.5% in October.

While this change may seem modest, it suggests that virtual care is stabilizing rather than continuously expanding. For international nurses, this indicates that:

• Telehealth remains a standard part of care, not just a temporary response to COVID-19.
• U.S. employers increasingly expect nurses to be comfortable working in hybrid models that combine in‑person care with virtual visits.
• Clinical roles may include chart review, remote patient education, and care coordination conducted through telehealth platforms.

If you are an international nurse applying for U.S. nursing jobs, highlighting any experience with virtual consultations, remote monitoring, or digital documentation can make you more competitive in this evolving landscape.

2. Regional Differences: The Midwest Is Bucking the Trend

Telehealth use declined in every major region of the U.S. except the Midwest:

• Northeast: telehealth use fell by 2.2%
• South: telehealth use fell by 2.5%
• West: telehealth use fell by 2.5%
• Midwest: telehealth use increased slightly, by .02%

This ongoing divergence means that the Midwest is gradually becoming a standout region for virtual care adoption. For international nurses:

• The Midwest may offer more hybrid or telehealth‑integrated roles, especially in large health systems, academic centers, and integrated care networks.
• States in the Midwest often have a mix of urban and rural populations, making telehealth an important tool for improving access to care.
• Nurses working in this region may find more opportunities to participate in remote triage, virtual follow‑ups, and tele-psychiatry support.

NurseContact helps international nurses explore offers across multiple regions, including Midwestern states where telehealth growth is creating demand for digitally skilled nurses.

3. Claim Line Volume: Telehealth Is Embedded but Not Dominant

When looking at claim lines the individual billing lines associated with medical services telehealth also saw a slight national decline:

• Telehealth claim lines decreased from 5.% to 4.9% of all medical claims nationwide.
• Utilization dropped 4.1% in the Northeast and 3.6% in the West, but increased 2.4% in the Midwest.

This shows that telehealth is firmly embedded in the U.S. healthcare system, but it is not replacing in‑person care; instead, it complements it. For nurses coming from abroad:

• You are unlikely to find roles that are 100% telehealth at the bedside level, but you may encounter hybrid roles in ambulatory care, mental health, case management, and chronic disease programs.
• Understanding U.S. documentation standards, billing terminology, and electronic health record (EHR) workflows is increasingly important, because telehealth visits must be documented and billed correctly.

NurseContact’s streamlined hiring process allows employers to identify international nurses who already have exposure to electronic documentation, remote patient management, or digital communication tools skills that translate well into telehealth-heavy environments.

4. Mental Health Continues to Dominate Telehealth Visits

One of the most striking findings: mental health remains the leading driver of telehealth utilization.

• Mental health conditions made up 63.9% of all telehealth claims in October 2025, up from 62.1% in September.
• Psychotherapy services accounted for 48.% of those mental health telehealth claims.

For international nurses, this has several implications:

• U.S. employers increasingly rely on tele-mental health to address shortages in behavioral health services.
• Nurses in primary care, psychiatric settings, and community health often support virtual therapy sessions, medication management, and patient follow‑up.
• Basic skills in mental health assessment, therapeutic communication, and crisis recognition are valuable across many U.S. nursing roles.

If you have experience in psychiatric nursing, community mental health, or counseling support, be sure to highlight these skills when creating your profile on NurseContact. Many U.S. employers are actively seeking nurses who are comfortable working alongside mental health professionals in virtual and hybrid models of care.

5. Urban vs. Rural Telehealth Gaps

Urban areas in the U.S. continue to use more telehealth than rural communities:

• Nationally, 14.6% of urban patients used telehealth, compared to 7.4% of rural patients.
• The Midwest showed the largest gap, with telehealth used by 11.1% of urban patients versus 4.8% of rural patients.

For international nurses, this means your telehealth exposure will likely differ depending on where you work:

• Urban hospitals and clinics often have more advanced digital infrastructure, dedicated telehealth teams, and structured workflows for virtual visits.
• Rural facilities may still be building capacity and rely on telehealth to connect patients to specialists in larger cities, especially in areas like cardiology, neurology, and mental health.

If you are open to working in medically underserved or rural areas a preference many U.S. employers value you may play a critical role in coordinating telehealth visits, educating patients about virtual platforms, and facilitating remote specialist consultations.

Through NurseContact, international nurses can explore job offers in both urban centers and rural communities, including opportunities where telehealth is used to bridge access gaps.

6. Younger Adults Are the Heaviest Telehealth Users

Telehealth use also varies by age, and this pattern is important for international nurses planning their practice in the U.S.:

• Patients ages 19–30 had the highest telehealth usage at 24.%.
• Patients ages 31–40 followed closely at 23.2%.
• Telehealth usage fell below 10% among children under 10 and adults over 65.

This tells you that:

• Younger adults in the U.S. are very comfortable with virtual care, often using telehealth for mental health, primary care, and minor acute issues.
• Older adults may face barriers such as technology access, digital literacy, or comfort with online platforms.

For international nurses, this age pattern affects how you communicate and deliver care:

• With younger adults, you may conduct more virtual follow‑ups, education sessions, and symptom check-ins.
• With older adults, you may need to provide more hands-on guidance to help them navigate telehealth tools or may see them more frequently in person.

Employers using NurseContact to hire international nurses increasingly look for candidates who can adapt communication styles to different age groups and are comfortable integrating technology into patient education and follow‑up.

What This Means for International Nurses Seeking U.S. Jobs

Telehealth is no longer an experimental model it is a mature, integrated part of American healthcare. For international nurses considering relocation to the U.S., these trends highlight several key points:

• Digital literacy is a core competency. Familiarity with video platforms, secure messaging, and EHR documentation will make you more attractive to U.S. employers.
• Mental health skills are in high demand. Even if you are not a psychiatric nurse, comfort with behavioral health screening and supportive communication is highly valuable in telehealth-centric environments.
• Regional differences matter. The Midwest continues to grow in telehealth utilization, while other regions stabilize or decrease slightly. Your day-to-day responsibilities may look different depending on where you accept a position.
• Hybrid care is the new normal. Expect a mix of in‑person care and telehealth-related tasks, especially in outpatient, community health, and behavioral health settings.

How NurseContact Supports International Nurses in a Telehealth-Driven Market

NurseContact is designed to meet the realities of modern U.S. healthcare:

• We connect internationally educated nurses with U.S. healthcare employers that recognize the value of global talent.
• Our streamlined hiring process helps reduce delays and complexity, supporting visa sponsorship workflows, interview scheduling across time zones, and employer–candidate coordination.
• By understanding trends like telehealth utilization, we help match nurses to roles that fit their skills, interests, and comfort with digital care models.

If you are an international nurse looking to work in the United States whether in a high-tech urban hospital or a community-based facility leveraging telehealth to reach rural patients NurseContact gives you direct access to employers who are ready to hire.

Next step:
If you want to position yourself strongly for U.S. nursing jobs in a healthcare system that increasingly relies on telehealth, start by updating your profile and CV to highlight:

• Any telehealth or remote care experience
• Experience with mental health or behavioral health patients
• Comfort with digital tools and electronic health records

Then connect with U.S. employers through NurseContact and explore roles that align with both your clinical expertise and the future of virtual care in American healthcare.