|
|
| |
| The use of telemedicine, wearables, and AI to supplement increasing physician-staffing shortages in rural areas, improve patient-provider connectivity and help sustain patients' residency. |
Fernando R. Trujillo and Dr. Bruce Lazar
|
Abstract:
On average, it takes rural residents of the United States over 30 minutes to reach a primary care provider. The technologies of telemedicine, wearables, and artificial intelligence in healthcare have all become more widely accepted as their advancements have progressed through the years. The systematic literature review aimed to determine whether the use of telemedicine, wearables, and AI to supplement increasing physician-staffing shortages within the rural areas of the United States can improve patient-provider connectivity and help sustain these patients' rural residency. A search of literature transpired using PubMed and Wiley Online Library academic databases following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Data from 21 relevant articles were thematically analyzed using screening criteria directly related to the research question, which identified five main themes. The themes included telemedicine in rural healthcare, 67%; wearables in healthcare, 38%; artificial intelligence in rural healthcare, 29%; physician shortage in rural areas, 48%; and internet connectivity, 62%. The findings and results indicated that the increased usage of telemedicine has become a practical solution for alleviating the shortage of physicians; wearables allow for a shift of personal responsibility to the patient; and artificial intelligence has proven itself to perform standardized practices involved in healthcare in order for medical staff to focus solely on the patient and their treatment. The findings of this study imply that the use of telemedicine, wearables, and artificial intelligence to supplement the increasing shortage of physicians within the rural areas of the United States assist in expanding patient-provider connectivity, as well as help sustain patients' rural residency. In addition, the implications of these findings provide healthcare leaders ample justification for ensuring their treatment facility has access to a modern internet infrastructure and the latest in telemedicine technology, as well as to push their legislators to enact laws to eliminate interstate telemedicine restrictions.
|
|
|
| | |