The Benefits of Telehealth in Rural Areas

Telehealth has grown significantly in recent years, especially during  COVID-19, which accelerated the use of online healthcare services. While in-person healthcare is still the preferred scenario the majority of the time, telehealth in rural areas has been particularly useful, where access to healthcare is often limited. Telehealth offers rural patients and healthcare providers innovative ways to improve health outcomes and address gaps in care, especially for chronic conditions such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. 

This blog will explore the importance of telehealth in rural areas through the lens of accessibility and eye disease prevention.

Telehealth and Improving Rural Patient Outcomes

Patients who live in rural areas are at a unique disadvantage compared to their counterparts in metropolitan areas. Diabetes is an example of a disease that requires specialist care and can rapidly intensify without proper screenings and monitoring. Telehealth is transforming how patients in rural areas access care, enabling earlier detection through continuous monitoring, which is crucial for preventing negative outcomes. 

Travel Time and Accessibility 

While there are many barriers to healthcare for patient populations in metropolitan areas, accessing healthcare in cities is often more convenient due to the proximity of specialists and hospitals. 

Patients in rural settings across the US, on the other hand, are faced with long travel times, missed workdays, and additional costs for transportation and lodging. These logistical barriers can lead to patients delaying or skipping out on necessary care altogether.

Telehealth mitigates these challenges by providing access to care without the need for travel. Patients can now attend routine check-ups and receive specialist consultations through virtual appointments, reducing the burden of travel and making healthcare more accessible for rural communities.

Chronic Condition Monitoring 

Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) is one aspect of telehealth that can greatly improve outcomes for underserved patient populations. According to Health Recovery Solutions, RPM is defined as: 

“Periodic, asynchronous, or continuous monitoring and transmission of vital signs, including weight, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, glucose levels, heart rate, or heart rhythm.”

RPM devices such as glucose monitors and blood pressure cuffs can open communication between patients and providers and ensure their health is managed effectively without the need for frequent in-person visits.

One often overlooked aspect of diabetes is its impact on eye health. Diabetic retinopathy is one example of an eye disease brought on by high blood sugar. Special equipment is needed for detection, and it is the leading cause of blindness in diabetic adults in the US. Telehealth in rural areas can help prevent diabetic retinopathy through regular screenings and consultations, so that patients will grow in their ability to take responsibility for health outcomes, and doctors will be more equipped to understand their patient’s situations and develop proactive treatment plans before too much damage has occurred. 

Access to Specialist Care 

The last crucial element of telehealth in rural areas is online appointments and screenings. While there are some services that require an in-person doctor or nurse (such as a diabetic retinopathy fundus test, bloodwork, or x-rays), telehealth calls can relieve the burden of finding transportation and accessing needed care for routine check-ups and specialist appointments. 

Meeting Medically Underserved Communities Where They Are 

There are still plenty of challenges to removing care gaps for patients in rural areas — but telehealth, RSM, and other means of reaching patients where they’re at is a signal toward improved patient outcomes and equitable care for everyone.

IRIS is committed to playing its part in the mission to break barriers to care for patients with diabetes. IRIS and IRIS Now serve as pioneering solutions for detecting preventable eye disease and improving the quality of care for diabetic patients nationwide through teleretinal imaging.  

If you’re a provider who wants to learn more about how telemedicine could improve your practice, reach out today to start a conversation. 

 

FAQs

How to implement telehealth in rural areas

Implementing telehealth in rural areas requires a technological investment, training for healthcare providers, and ensuring that patients have access to the necessary technology. Providers can partner with telehealth platforms to streamline services and improve patient care.

How to improve telehealth in rural areas

Patients in rural areas can still struggle with a lack of access to the internet and digital literacy. Focusing on education and training for patients and providers can get everyone involved on the same page for an improved telehealth experience.

 

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