The data: 31% of people who have received a GLP-1 medication via virtual care in the past year have tried more than one telehealth platform, per a new US News & World Report survey.

Top factors contributing to switches include:

• Costs (cited by 57% of switchers)
• Lack of patient support (36%)
• Medication didn’t drive weight loss (28%)
• Unwanted side effects (23%)
• Wanted a different delivery method (23%)
• Didn’t offer the desired medication (21%)

Why it matters: Telehealth has become an important gateway to GLP-1 medication access. Online questionnaires, virtual consultations, and home delivery appeal to patients looking to avoid specialist referrals, long wait times, and potentially uncomfortable in-person conversations about weight loss. Some 26% of GLP-1 patients, including 56% of Gen Zers, have used a telehealth service to get their prescription, per EMARKETER’s January 2026 US Digital Health Survey.

When choosing a telehealth platform for GLP-1s, consumers most value:

• Thorough initial screening (29%)
• Quality of clinical follow-up and support (26%)
• Cost transparency (23%)

They place less importance on insurance coverage assistance (9%), side effect management (7%), and lifestyle or nutrition support (4%), potentially because they receive these supplementary services elsewhere and don’t prioritize them when choosing a telehealth platform.

Implications for telehealth brands and marketers: The increasingly crowded GLP-1 telehealth market is becoming a battleground for patient retention, with providers facing pressure to compete on more than convenient access to weight loss medications. As patients gain more options for obtaining prescriptions, platforms that fail to deliver competitive and upfront pricing and personalized support risk losing customers to rivals—and those support needs vary by patient.

Survey respondents to US News & World Report prioritize ongoing medical guidance over diet, exercise, or side effect support, though other patients may value those services more. Above all, pricing matters most, and consumers may be especially turned off by companies that advertise low introductory rates without clearly disclosing later membership price hikes.

Meanwhile, telehealth marketers should avoid promising rapid or dramatic weight loss, which may attract patients initially but drive churn when results fall short. Instead, messaging should set realistic expectations about varying treatment outcomes and the potential need for dosage adjustments, more time, or additional support and treatment options.

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