Study Uncovers Escalating Telehealth Gap Between Rural And Urban VA Patients Amid Pandemic
A recent study has shed light on the widening telehealth gap between rural and urban VA beneficiaries in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research, entitled “Rates of Primary Care and Integrated Mental Health Telemedicine Visits Between Rural and Urban Veterans Affairs (VA) Beneficiaries Before and After the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic,” emphasizes the pressing need to confront this inequality in healthcare accessibility. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has long promoted telemedicine as a tool for expanding healthcare access, especially for nearly 5 million rural patients across 50 states. Despite the VHA’s efforts to bridge the digital divide…