Telehealth in rural areas has gained particular value after COVID-19, introducing digital communication technologies like video conferencing and remote monitoring to patients in distant locations. This way, you can deliver healthcare services to people in any location with the internet.

If you’re interested in embracing all telehealth benefits, Exoft experts have prepared the technological overview of telemedicine and rural health. In this guide, our telemedicine app development company lets you trace how telehealth impacts rural healthcare delivery and shows how to apply the best practices and get the maximum from this innovation.

Overview of Rural Healthcare Access Issues

The key value of telehealth for rural areas is self-evident: it bridges the gap in healthcare services delivery and eliminates the geographical barriers and limited healthcare resources problems.

Here is the scope of issues that these complications created before telemedicine in rural areas was introduced.

Access and Economic Barriers

Since over 130 rural hospitals were shut down between 2010 and 2021, many patients face the need to dedicate extra effort to reaching a clinician. In the given circumstances, it was hard for patients in rural areas to access high-quality healthcare services — both due to long distances and financial constraints.

Also, 26.5% of rural residents are uninsured, which pushed them not to refer to healthcare providers at all due to cost concerns. This made the barrier issues even more severe.

Not Enough Healthcare Providers

Given the distance and complexities of reaching rural areas, workforce shortages are real there. According to NRHA in 2022, the rural patient-to-primary care physician ratio per 100,000 people was 39.8, while the urban ratio was 53.8. This made the barrier issues systematic and relevant to all rural areas in the country.

Health Disparities

Given the above-mentioned limitations, rural populations have higher rates of chronic diseases. During the pandemic, 54% of rural patients (compared to 30% of urban ones) died from COVID-19 within a month of being admitted to intensive care. Combined with underinsurance and distance constraints, the workforce shortage problem became even sharper.

Also, according to the RHI Hub and RTI Health Advance stats, death rates related to several chronic diseases are higher in rural areas vs. urban areas, meaning:

  • Heart disease: 193.5 vs. 161.7 per 100,000
  • Cancer: 176.2 vs. 158.3 per 100,000
  • Lower respiratory disease: 54.3 vs. 38 per 100,000
  • Stroke: 41.5 vs. 35.4 per 100,000

Given the technology capacity, telehealth in rural communities can make a big difference in saving rural lives. Thus, we strongly recommend considering this opportunity to overcome health-related disparities in distant areas.

6 benefits of telehealth in rural areas

Why to Develop and What Are the Benefits of Telehealth in Rural Areas

Given that telehealth shows its potential to eliminate the main barriers for patients from rural communities, the market for telemedicine solutions is growing. In 2023, the global telehealth market size was around $101.15 billion, and it’s expected to grow at a 22.5%-24.3% CAGR by 2030.

Given the sharp problems with chronic disease management, healthcare access, and workforce shortages, the application of telehealth is expected to address these barriers. In addition, the technology helps to overcome the stigma related to mental health services, cover specialty care demand (like HRS treatment), and educate patients on disease prevention strategies. All in all, it broadens the set of opportunities to address health problems in rural areas.

Here are all the exact benefits of telehealth you can get:

  1. Increased access. The key impact of telemedicine in rural areas is addressing transportation-related challenges and concerns.
  2. Cost efficiency. With e-visits and virtual consultations, you can cut healthcare costs commonly related to in-person visits.
  3. Enhanced quality of care. Telehealth makes it easier for healthcare providers to reach a patient, share their expertise, and collaborate on a better treatment.
  4. Diverse services: Rural patients can reach different specialists with unique expertise, ranging from mental health care to dermatology.
  5. Enhanced patient engagement. Connecting with doctors via the internet is more convenient than covering long-distance visits.
  6. Ongoing support. Healthcare providers can give continuous care to more patients with remote monitoring.

Telehealth focuses on improving patients’ conditions, letting them gain increased access to care, improved health outcomes, and greater engagement and service satisfaction.

Telehealth and Rural Areas: Technology Infrastructure Overview

Telehealth utilizes telecommunications technology to deliver key healthcare services remotely, including clinical consultations, education, and administrative functions. As it integrates with Health information technology (HIT), it can store, secure, retrieve, and transfer protected health information electronically.

Here is how telehealth technology can improve the connection between telemedicine and rural health.


Telehealth service Use cases Global availability
Virtual consultation Primary care, visiting a specialist, follow-up appointments Many platforms operate globally
Remote patient monitoring (RPM) Treating chronic diseases, care after operations, medical tracking Mainly available in developed countries. In limited functionality, available in developing countries
Teletherapy Mental health consultations, substance abuse treatments Quickly gaining popularity worldwide
Telepsychiatry Psychiatric evaluation, crisis mental health intervention Mainly available in developed countries. Quickly gaining popularity in rural areas
Teledermatology Assessing skin condition, remote consultations, and follow-ups Growing popularity in developed countries
Telehealth education Patient education on managing diseases, health literacy programs, coaching Many platforms operate globally
Mobile health apps Fitness and diet tracking, medication reminders, coaching to prevent health-related problems Many platforms operate globally
Emergency services Remote triage for emergencies, consultations and follow-ups post-emergency Mainly available in developed countries. In limited functionality, available in developing countries

How to Implement Telehealth in Rural Areas Successfully: Exoft Insights

Based on our experience in introducing telemedicine, rural areas require a thoughtful approach, given the severity of healthcare issues in these locations, the psychological barriers patients have, and the economic implications healthcare providers consider.

To develop a winning telehealth strategy, you need to pay attention to these rural telehealth best practices.

Assess Community Needs

Start by conducting thorough assessments of the specific healthcare needs and technological capabilities of the community you’re about to serve. In addition, it’s important to gain insights into hardware, software, and network security measures to protect patient information.

Engage Local Stakeholders

To make your telehealth idea work, don’t underestimate the influence of local stakeholders. At the start of your project, involve local healthcare providers and community leaders in planning and decision-making processes.

Choose the Right Technology

Make sure that your telehealth solution is user-friendly and covers your requirements. For this, review the use cases in the table above and select the telehealth services that address your needs. Also, check if your tech provider recognizes the need to comply with HIT standards for seamless interoperability.

Invest in Training

Even the most convenient technology requires proper training. Thus, involve your software provider in both showing your staff and guiding your patients through the new technology:

  • For staff: develop a structured workflow that includes patient scheduling, technology use, and follow-up procedures.
  • For patients: prepare them for telehealth visits by providing clear instructions on how to use the technology and what to expect during consultations.

Constantly Monitor and Improve

Implementing a new technology is an ongoing process. To maximize the benefits, we recommend our clients start with a pilot program that is integrated with electronic health records and other healthcare software development services you have.

Then, you can evaluate the outcomes, run patient satisfaction surveys, and select the areas to improve and the services introduced (you can check a guide to no code development and our overview on top web development trends for insights).

Keep Rural Community in Focus

For the success of your project, promoting services is crucial. That’s why we recommend gaining support from local influencers at the beginning of your innovation project.

Based on our experience, when you collaborate closely with healthcare professionals, you can gain insights into the specific needs and challenges of the rural community you work for.

Possible Challenges and Considerations to Overcome Them

In this section, we’ll highlight the main barriers to telehealth in rural areas and show how you can overcome them.


A possible barrier to telehealth Challenge description Possible solution
Workforce issues Not enough trained healthcare providers to deliver telehealth services Initiate training programs for healthcare providers and choose a telehealth platform that is easy to work with
Reimbursement and policy barriers State and federal reimbursement policies are different Advocate for reimbursement policy standardization and make the policy barriers clear for all the stakeholders at the start of the project
Licensure and credentialing challenges State and federal licensure requirements are different Advocate for licensure process simplification and, if dealing with telehealth providers operating in several states, make the restriction barrier clear at the start of the project
Connectivity issues and the digital divide Video consultations are hard to deliver due to internet problems Rely on your local partnerships and include in the budget the need to support the investment in broadband infrastructure expansion
Device availability and user proficiency Some rural communities have limited or no internet access Rely on your local partnerships, develop community programs on digital literacy, and provide access to affordable internet services
Insurance reimbursement policies Inconsistent insurance coverage Partner with local insurance companies to design comprehensive and fair coverage plans
Privacy and security concerns Some telehealth solutions are unreliable due to data breaches and a lack of personal health information protection Don’t underestimate the importance of cybersecurity measures, patient education, and safety protocols

With a thoughtful approach to developing telehealth solutions in rural areas and needed local partnerships, you can manage most of the challenges mentioned above. It’s crucial to establish secure and seamless healthcare connectivity if your goal is to enable timely access to care, greater patient engagement, and accurate remote monitoring of chronic conditions.
All these measures will improve the health condition of the whole rural area — and that’s the outcome worth investing in.

Last Thoughts and Why to Choose Exoft as Your Telehealth Solution Provider

Telehealth in rural areas offers a systematic approach to improve overall health management, transforming the healthcare situation and becoming success stories for non-governmental health-related organizations — like the UNICEF project in Georgia state.

And it’s no surprise. When done right and with all possible challenges in mind, rural telemedicine significantly improves efficiency and effectiveness in healthcare delivery for the entire local community, providing better patient satisfaction and adherence to treatment plans.

Given their potential impact, business growth opportunities for telehealth projects look attractive to investors interested in both economic profit and social impact.