Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-2020
Abstract
Telehealth is an ever-growing health care system, providing health services from a distance. Telehealth provides medical care through teletechnologies and two-way video and audio communication to connect doctors to patients. A detailed review was created to show the barriers and interventions of implementing a telehealth program in a rural area. The overall purpose of the systematic review was to find and explore relevant research and answer the question, “What are commonly encountered barriers to implementing telehealth in rural areas and what interventions can nurses implement to overcome these barriers?” The approach used to obtain quality data and research was convenience sampling through the ORU databases. Thematic analysis was used to evaluate the research found and to answer the research question. After critiquing fifty articles, a final sample was comprised of twenty-four articles. Findings from this systematic review revealed the top six categories of barriers and their accompanying interventions for the implementation of telehealth encompassed technology, education, health systems, finances, privacy, and cultural considerations. Despite the barriers the positive outcomes of the implementation of telehealth is the opportunity it gives to provide medical services to underserved populations in rural areas. Its purpose is to positively increase a patient’s health and well-being who would otherwise not have access to medical care.
Recommended Citation
Barreiro, Mariana; Coles, Ashley; Conradt, Caris; Hales, Emma; and Zellmer, Elizabeth, "Barriers to the Implementation of Telehealth in Rural Communities and Potential Solutions" (2020). Nursing Undergraduate Work. 12.
https://digitalshowcase.oru.edu/nurs_undergrad_work/12
