Title: Addressing Socioeconomic and Infrastructural Disparities to Enhance Telehealth Access in Rural America: Barriers and Solutions
Authors: Hend Jadalla
Volume: 8
Issue: 8
Pages: 1-7
Publication Date: 2024/08/28
Abstract:
One of the key elements of the social determinants of health is access to healthcare; telehealth gave necessary access to healthcare, notably in the COVID-19 period, that helped increase the access to care in rural regions. This review is to find the barriers rural people have when accessing or utilizing telehealth services and identify strategies for removing them, that consequently help in lowering the healthcare disparities. This review addresses the research question, "Which approaches might successfully address the socioeconomic and structural barriers to telehealth access and usage in rural America? Methodology: We conducted a narrative review by examining current peer-reviewed articles and trusted reports from United States health agencies using EBSCO Medline and Google Scholar. Results showed that telehealth helps reduce rural healthcare disparities, but socioeconomic and infrastructural barriers prevent its widespread use. Rural patients were more satisfied with telemedicine (P-Value = 0.002) than urban patients. Urban black patients use telehealth more frequently. Poor broadband access, poverty, education, and demographics widen the digital divide. Policy interventions targeted at digital literacy programs and community engagement can improve rural telehealth access and outcomes. Conclusion: While telehealth can potentially reduce rural healthcare disparities, addressing socioeconomic and infrastructural issues is crucial. Improve broadband infrastructure, digital literacy, and supportive policies for equity. Successful telehealth programs can help further efforts to provide more inclusive and accessible healthcare.