Written by Jonathan Adelstein, Administrator, Rural Utilities Services
Remote learning, teaching, and service delivery are becoming a way of life, and nowhere is that truer than in rural regions.
Digital networks and new technologies are emerging to bring more cost-effective and high quality telemedical services to rural populations across the country. The financial distance penalty so often assumed to be part of rural life appears to be receding as our broadband networks are expanding. With medical record keeping systems moving to digital formats, the opportunity to have records and diagnostic tests “move” with you from doctor to doctor or from doctor to clinic is becoming more commonplace, as is the availability of sophisticated diagnostic procedures and specialized help, again through the broadband networks being built with USDA funding support in metro and rural regions.
