How telehealth is supporting rural practices’ role as a community center

The physician shortage is only the first barrier to quality care access in rural areas. Others include logistics of delivering emergency medical services, lack of trauma centers, and cost—on both patients and physicians—to receive and provide quality care. In fact, a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that nonmetropolitan areas have a higher percentage of deaths from the five leading causes—cancer, heart disease, stroke, chronic lower respiratory disease, and unintentional injuries. Much of this is due to lack of the appropriate resources and care access....