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Saving Medical Care: How Can Expanding Telemedicine Change the Health Destiny of Rural Residents?
Many areas in the United States have been described as medical deserts, places that lack adequate access to a wide range of medical services. Nearly 30 million Americans live in remote areas where the nearest hospital is more than 60 minutes away. This is especially true among patients who rely on Medicaid and Medicare, as the uninsured population often lives farther away, creating significant health inequities.
Between 2010 and 2021, 136 rural hospitals closed due to staff shortages, low patient volumes and financial pressures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Faced with such challenges, expanding telemedicine may become an important solution to alleviate rural medical deserts. Telemedicine demonstrated its potential during the 2020 pandemic, which made people realize that being able to access medical services via video conferencing or telephone could greatly improve the quality of life for residents living in medical deserts. Especially for those in remote areas, this model can save time and financial costs and provide necessary professional medical advice.
The Current State and Future of Telemedicine
Telemedicine is becoming increasingly popular in the United States, but it still faces technical, financial, and policy challenges. Studies show that healthcare providers’ acceptance of telemedicine is relatively low, especially in rural areas. This is crucial to breaking the gap in medical resources and improving access to medical care.
According to a report from the American Medical Association (AMA), telemedicine can not only help rural residents obtain more medical resources, but also reduce the barriers to seeing a doctor caused by distance.
However, truly boosting the adoption of telemedicine will require states like Texas, which have refused to expand Medicaid, to first improve coverage. The unfairness of the medical system poses even greater challenges to the already resource-strapped medical system. For example, evaluating fundamental structural changes in hospitals and medical centers, promoting the construction of digital infrastructure, and readjusting telemedicine regulations will all be future work priorities.
Challenges facing rural residents’ health
According to a 2021 survey, a large proportion of rural areas have no qualified doctors to choose from, which has led to long-term health dissatisfaction among residents. The accessibility of medical diagnosis and treatment in remote areas is poor, and even if many people need medical treatment, they miss the best time for treatment because they cannot get services.
In addition to the shortage of acute medical resources, the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases is also facing pressure. Common diseases such as heart disease and diabetes are likely to be aggravated due to the lack of timely professional medical guidance.
To address these challenges, strengthening health care networks and directing more doctors to work in rural areas is critical. A recent survey found that many medical students are concerned about practicing in remote areas, which is an important part of the future allocation of medical resources.
Opportunity for change
Against this background, promoting medical reform becomes particularly important. Providing reasonable medical insurance, increasing the accessibility of medical resources, and promoting telemedicine may be the key to saving the health of rural residents. The development of telemedicine may become a starting point to promote this situation.
In the current situation, residents in rural areas urgently need a solution that can provide continuous and effective care to fill the gaps in the existing system.
In the US medical system, why do some people, especially rural residents, still live in medical deserts for a long time? Perhaps the fundamental solution to this problem is to continue to promote the telemedicine system and improve the allocation of medical resources?
