Opportunities and Challenges to Telemedicine in Rural America

Rural communities have chronically suffered from a lack of adequate health care resources. Too few primary care practitioners and the need to travel long distances for specialty care have made it difficult for many rural residents to receive the care they need when they need it. Telemedicine provides one tool for improving this situation. As is often the case, however, telemedicine's potential has not been realized in rural America. Significant technical, regulatory, organizational, and financial barriers have prevented rural communities from benefiting from the technology. This paper discusses these issues and suggests a prescription for establishing successful rural telemedicine programs.