New study shows rural residents use telehealth at consistently lower rates than urban residents

Telehealth usage in rural areas has been consistently lower than in urban areas since 2020, according to a new report from Elevance Health Public Policy Foundation. 

The study found that rural residents with chronic conditions used telehealth at a rate of 4.6% compared to 7.5% of those in urban areas — regardless of insurance type — reports Liz Carey of The Daily Yonder.

Rural people are diagnosed with and experience chronic conditions, like diabetes, COPD and hypertension, at higher rates, but only 13.5% of rural Medicaid patients used telehealth in 2021 compared to 18.5% in non-rural areas. Across the board, rural patients were least likely to use telehealth, meaning in some cases, their care might have been interrupted or incomplete given long travel time to see doctors in person. 

The study didn't investigate the causes of this trend, but Carey reports that "it does show that more needs to be understood in terms of how rural communities use telehealth." Elevance Public Policy Director told Carey that telehealth use by rural residents increased slightly during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that it "remains part of chronic conditions care," but the lack of usage in rural areas "says to us that there’s still a gap there that does need to be understood and addressed."