Telehealth as a solution to healthcare disparities in the U.S
This review paper analyzes telehealth applications to eliminate healthcare disparities within the United States when measured against COVID-19 pandemic requirements. The analysis focuses on how telehealth services achieved improved healthcare accessibility for racial and ethnic minority groups and rural populations as well as individuals with limited socioeconomic means. A broad analysis of telehealth research articles documents its effects on healthcare delivery and outcomes accessibility. Telehealth systems bring substantial gains to patient access because they eliminate geographic and schedule limitations that usually prevent patients from getting timely treatment. The current challenges comprise digital literacy gaps alongside inequalities in technology access levels which potentially will deepen existing inequality gaps. Research evidence shows that telehealth shows promise for healthcare equity, but we need committed attention to digital inequity along with equal utilization strategies for diverse communities. To address digital exclusion the healthcare sector needs to improve broadband capabilities and create digital education programs while implementing new policies that aid telehealth usage by vulnerable communities. This study demonstrates how telehealth functions as an essential healthcare resource for elevating health equity throughout the United States while demanding continuous research to implement policies that maximize its benefits for all patients. Keywords: Telehealth, Health Disparities, Access To Care, Racial Minorities, Rural Health.
Authors
- Fabian Kaiser (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3025-8269)
- Abraham Ajayi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6681-1795)
- Edward Oware
Institutions
- Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (GH)
- University of West Georgia (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- International Medical Science Research Journal
- Published
- 2025-03-13
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.51594/imsrj.v5i2.1829
- Primary Topic
- Global Health Workforce Issues
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00