By Akorede Adekoya

Digital health technologies have the potential to transform healthcare delivery in rural and underserved communities by addressing issues of access, quality, and equity. In today’s technology-driven world, healthcare is undergoing a significant digital transformation. Digital health offers new ways of care delivery that were not possible in the past. With proper implementation, healthcare organizations can leverage virtual care, remote monitoring, and other digital tools to expand their reach, revolutionize healthcare delivery in underserved rural communities. and improve outcomes for historically underserved and marginalized populations.

Rural communities often face unique challenges in accessing healthcare services partially due to limited healthcare infrastructure, shortages of healthcare professionals, geographic isolation, the long distances emergency services have to travel, limited access to support resources, and socioeconomic disparities. These factors contribute to poorer health outcomes and higher rates of preventable diseases compared to urban areas. For example, the likelihood of a fatal drug overdose is about 30 per cent higher in rural areas of British Columbia than in urban centres. Digital health solutions have the potential to narrow the gap between residents and healthcare services by overcoming many of these obstacles.

Expanding Access Through Virtual Care

One of the most impactful applications of digital health in rural areas is virtual care. Virtual visits allow patients to consult with healthcare providers remotely, overcoming geographic barriers and reducing the need for long-distance travel to the emergency. This is especially beneficial for specialty care, which is often scarce in rural regions. For example, the Fraser Health Virtual Care call centre allows people in the region to connect remotely with a registered nurse about their health concerns through telephone, video, or web chat.

Remote Care

Remote patient monitoring (RPM) is a virtual health solution that has the potential to move care management into non-traditional healthcare settings, particularly patients’ homes or any other location where patients’ health and daily habits can be reviewed and real-time feedback provided to alter the course of their illness. RPM is can be instrumental for individuals living in rural areas who suffer from chronic illnesses and do not have the opportunity of receiving proper medical care because of proximity-related issues. RPM can aid in detection of health issues, reduce hospital admissions, improve patient-reported outcomes and quality of life, decrease patient mortality and emergency department visits, and enhance healthcare management for rural residents.

Bridging the Digital Divide

While digital health has benefits for many, it is important to address the topic of the ‘digital divide’ that has become the order of the day in rural and underserved communities. A national connectivity gap exists between rural and urban areas, with many individuals in rural Canadian communities facing slower and less dependable internet compared to their urban counterparts. Unfortunately, this digital divide can affect the chances of accessing digital health services in rural areas.

To bridge the gap, health organizations in rural areas are expected to do the following:

• Collaborate with government agencies, utility providers, and relevant entities to expand internet coverage for facilitating virtual health service adoption. There are numerous rural areas that are unable to access high-internet speed as well as cellular services that are integral for digital healthcare services
• Establish community hubs in rural areas that will provide digital healthcare services for rural residents
• Encourage digital literacy training and empower rural residents to use technology to access digital health services

Overcoming Hurdles

To effectively harness the power of digital health, there are many hurdles that need to be overcome. They include the following:

• Leveraging telehealth to enhance recruitment and retention of rural healthcare providers by offering better support and professional development opportunities
• Integration of digital health with other community services to increase awareness, adoption and utilization
• Effectively tackling data security and privacy related issues
• Creating realistic funding models to implement digital health initiatives
• Encouraging digital health training for healthcare providers to teach them on the proper use of digital tools

Appropriate Implementation

Digital health solutions for the rural and underserved population will more successful if they are implemented with cultural awareness of the immediate environment. These include:

• Getting the relevant local stakeholders involved in the design, development implementation of the digital healthcare tools
• Offering multiple language options on virtual care platforms with accommodation of various cultural norms
• Introducing virtual care platforms in various languages to ensure that the digital health tool can accommodate people from diverse cultural beliefs and practices
• Making conscious effort to ensure that digital and in-person care options are culturally appropriate to respect the choice of all people

Future of Digital Healthcare in Rural Areas

As digital health technologies are gaining momentum, there are numerous advantages that it offers for healthcare delivery. Artificial intelligence and machine learning can enhance diagnostic capabilities, and virtual and augmented reality may allow for more immersive remote consultations and improved health outcomes for people living in rural and underserved areas. The adoption of digital health solutions will help rural and underserved communities circumvent traditional barriers to care, moving them toward a more equitable healthcare landscape.

Akorede Adekoya is a project leader, virtual health with Fraser Health. With a background in pharmacy and global health, he is passionate about using technology to improve the healthcare system  for everyone, especially marginalized and underserved populations. His interests include leveraging digital health to create scalable and sustainable solutions to help populations with substance use disorder. When he is not working, he enjoys writing and reading fiction novels.