Health System Management – “Supporting Rural Hospitals with Telehealth”
In today’s tough healthcare economy, many healthcare executives unfortunately view rural hospitals as obsolete because of the costs associated with remaining viable in the challenging healthcare environment. However, one in six Americans currently lives in a rural county, showing that these facilities are essential in providing quality healthcare to a sizable portion of the overall patient population.1 As the American demographic shifts to a larger population of elderly individuals with an increasing number of high-need patients, supporting these rural hospitals and keeping them working efficiently should be a high priority in our health system.
Just because someone chooses to live in a rural area shouldn’t mean they receive a lesser quality of healthcare because of geography. Telehealth solutions, specifically telepharmacy, are uniquely suited to address some of the key challenges these facilities face in keeping their doors open for patients. By extending existing resources and clinical expertise, this technology helps provide better care for patients without negatively affecting an organization’s bottom line.