Rising healthcare costs are proving to be more difficult to deal with for rural healthcare
organizations than they are for urban healthcare organizations. This means that when it
comes to tele-health, rural organizations need to work harder to keep up with urban
tele-health. They are attempting to do this through a few ways. First of all, they are trying
to let not only patients but physicians know that rural facilities with tele-health capabilities
are very innovative and can provide the same care with just as quick of turn-around times
as urban facilities (Duplantie, 2006). After seeing that the tele-health implementation has
increased the quality of care provided, it can encourage patients to see local rural
physicians rather than traveling a long distance, and can also encourage physicians to work
at these locations.
“A study conducted among medical residents in Quebec found a significant correlation
between residents’ positive evaluation of tele-health and their intention to practice in a
remote region” (Duplantie, 2006). Pilot projects can be set up to demonstrate this to
facilities, medical staff, and to patients. Another way they are keeping up with urban
tele-health is by actually working more closely with urban tele-health (Duplantie, 2006). If
a patient used to drive a long ways to be seen by a physician at a larger hospital, but now
knows that this hospital works close with a rural physician closer to them, the patient may
start going there. One would think that this would be bad for the urban facility, but the