When the COVID-19 pandemic made in-person healthcare visits impossible, telehealth filled the gap. It allowed for appointments to happen, care to continue, and patients to have the peace of mind that comes from connecting with their physicians.
For patients in rural settings, the healthcare challenges that emerged during COVID-19 are the norm, as these patients regularly face a lack of access to doctors due to geographic, financial, and other factors. Based on its success during Covid, telehealth seems to be the perfect solution for patients in rural areas but attempts to deploy the technology for that purpose have revealed some weaknesses.
“Current telemedicine solutions often require trained medical professionals on both ends, limiting their effectiveness in truly remote settings,” shares Josh Thompson, CEO of Impact Health USA and Impact Health University. “While it excels in initial consultations and specialist collaborations, it falls short in providing fully remote medical services without the presence of trained physicians. In rural areas, especially in developing countries, the scarcity of medical professionals makes it challenging to deliver consistent and quality healthcare.”
Thompson is a healthcare entrepreneur who has played a key role in enhancing the reach of telehealth across the US. He has revolutionized access to medical services through his national telehealth platform, offering primary care, obesity medications, and mental health support. Under his leadership, Impact Health USA has expanded to all 50 states, transforming healthcare accessibility and empowering entrepreneurs through healthcare mentoring programs to own their own telehealth businesses serviced by Impact Health USA.
Thompson believes telehealth has the potential to serve those in rural areas, but that it must first evolve. “To address the challenges of leveraging telehealth in rural areas, new technologies and innovative solutions are emerging,” he says. “These advancements aim to provide comprehensive healthcare services that do not rely heavily on the physical presence of doctors.”
Thompson sees the following advances as essential for expanding telehealth’s capabilities to effectively serve rural patients.
Leveraging AI in Telehealth Platforms
Artificial intelligence has proven to be a game-changer in the technology space. It enhances tech performance by empowering unprecedented data-processing speeds and unparalleled capacities for identifying patterns — both of which are features that play heavily in the diagnoses doctors must provide.
“Artificial intelligence can assist in diagnosing medical conditions based on patient data,” Thompson explains. “As a result, it can enable non-specialists to provide accurate care.”
The capability Thompson points to is a key piece of the puzzle for rural healthcare, where medical specialists rarely set up their practice. Rural patients, just like those in urban areas, often rely on the experience specialists have in a particular field to diagnose conditions and prescribe the proper course of care. When those specialists aren’t accessible, patients can suffer despite having easily treatable conditions.
AI allows special conditions to be identified from data rather than experience. It learns what health metrics indicate unique conditions may be present and can quickly filter through patient data to identify those metrics. When they indicate an issue is likely, patients can take the steps needed to have a more conclusive, in-person consultation.
Leveraging wearables in telehealth platforms
Patients with chronic conditions often must make regular visits to healthcare providers so up-to-date vitals can be obtained. Without those vitals, doctors cannot determine whether the treatment they’ve provided is effective.
However, making those regular visits can be a hardship for patients in rural areas. They often involve traveling a great distance, which can negatively impact the patient’s health and result in financial hardships.
Wearable medical devices change the equation. Medical technology like continuous glucose monitors, wearable blood pressure monitors, and biosensors that track heart rate, respiration, rate, and activity levels can all help doctors monitor vitals from a distance, which means in-patient visits don’t need to happen as frequently.
“Devices that monitor vital signs and transmit data to healthcare providers can help manage chronic conditions remotely,” Thompsons says. “Comprehensive telehealth kits that include diagnostic tools and connectivity options can empower community health workers to perform routine check-ups and emergency assessments.”
Providing training to assist health workers
While doctors are often not available on the patient side of the telehealth connection, community health workers are often. Yet, those workers usually lack the training to help with complicated diagnoses and treatments. By providing better training in that area, healthcare providers can improve the value of the help health workers provide, consequently making rural telehealth more effective.
“Virtual training programs can provide continuous education and training for community health workers via virtual platforms to enhance their skills and knowledge,” Thompson says. “Establishing 24/7 support centers that healthcare workers can contact for guidance and assistance in real-time is also key to the evolution of telehealth.”
Telehealth proved its potential for improving healthcare accessibility during the pandemic. For those in rural settings, that potential could be the solution to better health outcomes.
“Telemedicine has revolutionized healthcare delivery, but there is still much work to be done to reach the most underserved populations,” Thompson says. “By embracing new technologies and innovative approaches, we can bridge the gap in rural healthcare and provide equitable access to medical services worldwide.”