“What’s the answer to accommodating rural patient growth and improving the overall quality of rural patient care? Well, it all begins with multidisciplinary teamwork in rural primary care and greater provider collaboration between rural and urban care systems. Instrumental in these and other initiatives will be health IT. For example, rural uptake of EHR and HIE technology will allow for the seamless exchange of patient data between rural and urban healthcare facilities, and specialists and primary care physicians. Patient portal technology and PHRs (personal health records) will allow rural patients to become more engaged in improving and managing their own health. However, telemedicine and telehealth technologies offer, arguably, the greatest potential to transform rural healthcare — improving the accessibility, quality, and affordability of care.”
Article
Ken Congdon, Healthcare Technology Online, 27 July 2011
