Essay on How to increase the Reach and Effectiveness of Healthcare Systems for Rural Areas

  It is one of the global challenges to provide proper healthcare to people living in rural areas. Australia is also faced with the same situation regardless of the intense efforts made by the government. The rural areas have to face so many issues because the infrastructure and reach are not up to the mark, which makes it difficult for the governments to ensure the utmost healthcare facilities in rural areas hospitals. The private healthcare sector also doesn’t see many opportunities for them to operate in rural areas due to lower economic activities, as well as, a minimum amount of population. The rural area hospitals also don’t have the same kind of technology and access to technology as bigger cities.

            The above-mentioned issues have never decreased in significant numbers; rather the population has been facing these issues, which have made it difficult for them to get quality healthcare. The hospitals in remote areas don’t have all the departments to cure patients with a variety of diseases. The rural population struggle to get treated for different diseases, and other than basic treatment, they have to move to bigger cities to get better health facility. In this difficult situation, it is vital to look for solutions with alternative measures to that reach and effectiveness of the healthcare system is improved for the people living in rural areas.

What Telehealth can do for Rural Areas?

            If a local hospital does not have a certain facility as if a patient is having severe heart disease, but the local hospital does not have any heart specialist to treat or check the patient. In this situation, the patient may have to drive for few hours to reach the nearest heart specialist. If a similar situation is understood in the context of telehealth system, then the patient can get instant advice from a specialist doctor through any telehealth clinic. If the patient will need any medicine to deal with the situation, then the doctor will prescribe it immediately, and the patient can feel better. There are so many other situations where telehealth can be extremely effective for the people of rural areas as they can get instant access to their required doctor in a matter of minutes.

            The above-mentioned situation was just an example to show the reach and effectiveness of telehealth for rural areas. If a remote area does not have any high-quality doctor in the local hospital, but the patient needs the opinion of high quality and senior doctor, then he/she can access to any renowned doctor available at any telehealth service provider. The use of telehealth is great to decrease the influx of patients at healthcare facilities, especially when patients are just in need of consultation. For any physical procedures, they have to visit a hospital, but they can use telehealth for general check-ups, consultations, as well as, follow-ups. So, it is critical to focus on the essence of telehealth to help the people living in rural areas.