1. You Can Get Access to Better Healthcare
About 1 in 4 people who live in rural parts of the United States say that a lack of access to doctors in their community is a problem, according to a poll conducted by the Patient Access Network Foundation. The poll also found that roughly the same proportion of rural Americans frequently delay or forgo care altogether, due to either lack of access or high cost.
“Major urban centers have a disproportionate amount of specialists who subspecialize in specific diseases, such as UC, compared to rural areas,” says Dr. Battat. “We have patients who live many hours away, who were previously commuting in to see us. Telemedicine gives them access to some of the best healthcare without having to drive six hours. It’s a huge advantage for these patients.”
Additionally, people often have to see more than one specialist, such as a gastroenterologist, a registered dietitian, and a psychotherapist, to help treat UC, which makes a multi-hour drive a greater burden.
Section chief of gastroenterology and hepatology Corey Siegel, MD, and his team at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire developed RADIUS, which stands forRural APPs (advanced practice providers) Delivering IBD Care in the United States, to combat this issue. The program connects people with IBD to the specialists they need via telehealth.
“Having a nurse coordinator, a pharmacist, a dietitian, and behavioral health specialists like psychologists are really important,” says Dr. Siegel. “What would be ideal for people is if they can see the whole team all at once. And why not do it over telemedicine?”
The program currently serves people in Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, and Wyoming, with more sites to be added in the future.
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