Heartland Forward is launching an initiative to expand telehealth access in Arkansas and Oklahoma by teaching librarians how to prepare community members for a telehealth visit.
A training event at the Fayetteville Public Library this week was part of Heartland Forward’s multi-state, multi-pronged Connecting the Heartland initiative, which seeks to boost internet availability, affordability and adoption rates for participation in online services that considered to be keys to economic opportunity.
The event was designed to educate librarians on the comprehensive, online Telehealth DigitalLearn module, which teaches users how to access and prepare for a telehealth appointment. The module, available in English and Spanish, includes offers a complete training package, with four lessons: telehealth introduction, navigating patient portals, technical requirements, and the telehealth visit.
In its telehealth initiative announcement, Heartland Forward noted that many consumers, particularly in rural areas, don’t have easy access to healthcare. A report by the organization found that 25% of counties surveyed in the region had a population-to-primary care physician ratio more than double the U.S. average.
Telehealth enables patients to visit healthcare providers using a computer, tablet, or smartphone from home, a health clinic or a place with computers available for public use, such as a library.
“Telehealth is a vital tool for improving how health care is delivered and accessed in the heartland. This is just one of many opportunities for improved health and economic outcomes by connecting the heartland to affordable high-speed internet,” said Heartland Forward Executive Vice President Angie Cooper in a prepared statement.
Following this week’s event, librarians can use the Telehealth DigitalLearn module to help community members learn about telehealth. Heartland Forward hopes this will improve healthcare access in Arkansas and Oklahoma.
In a recent interview with Telecompetitor interview, Cooper said that access to broadband is the top economic issue facing the United States.
