Diagnostic advancements create opportunities for rural health

Residents of rural communities face unique challenges in accessing health care. The lack of nearby facilities often means residents must travel long distances for even basic medical care, which can be both time-consuming and costly. These challenges result in higher mortality rates and lower utilization of preventive services, highlighting the need for a new approach to health care for patients living in rural areas.

Innovations in diagnostics have the potential to significantly transform rural health care by bringing more care to patients in their communities and even their homes. Wearable devices, telehealth, and point-of-care diagnostics are three specific areas where advancements have the potential to enable new approaches to health care delivery that overcome unique rural barriers.

Wearable devices 

Advances in wearable biosensor devices are expanding opportunities to deliver and expand care to patients in their homes and local communities. Smartwatches, health tracking rings, or similar devices increasingly capture vital signs and health measurements that once required specialized devices. This simplifies data collection and enhances the possibilities of virtual care when clinicians use AI tools to interpret the results. 

These devices can also provide continuous monitoring, alerting both patients and providers to changes in real time to ensure timely interventions and reduce the risk of complications. This is especially important for specialized care that is less common in rural communities. Wearables make it easier for patients in rural areas to receive follow-up care at home. For example, Mayo Clinic Cardiovascular Monitoring enables a Mayo Clinic-certified rhythm analysis technician to monitor a patient hundreds of miles away and allow local clinicians to determine when an elevated level of care is necessary or if a treatment is effective. This type of support helps lower the burden on patients while bolstering health care services.

Telehealth 

Telehealth, driven in part by advancements in wearable devices, is changing both the diagnostic and rural health landscapes. Over the past decade, the ability to connect with health care providers via video, audio, and secure messaging has expanded significantly. While lack of connectivity has been a limiting factor in rural areas, a more recent focus on services that use cellular networks or text messaging to reach patients has helped overcome some of those barriers.

Rural access to telehealth is further supported by integration of AI-driven tools into telehealth platforms, supporting clinicians in their ability to provide diagnoses and develop treatment recommendations. With the right virtual care support, even hospital-level care can be delivered at home in some cases. Virtual care helps keep health care close to home and introduces more flexibility and options for care models, all of which help overcome geographic challenges.

Telehealth also enhances collaboration among clinicians. It is easier than ever for clinicians to get guidance from specialists and experts around the world. For example, when questions arise about diagnostic results or which test a clinician should order, telehealth facilitates an easy connection with a pathology content expert. Giving local providers this level of access to pathologists, cardiologists, and other specialists reduces the need for a patient to travel, expands the care they can receive from their trusted provider, and lowers the burden of traveling for care.

Point-of-need diagnostics 

Advancements in point-of-care (or more accurately, point-of-need) diagnostics can provide quick answers and convenient monitoring at community clinics and retail health locations in pharmacies and grocery stores. Technological advances, such as miniaturization and microfluidics, are creating smaller and more autonomous testing devices that can be deployed in settings that typically lack the space and expertise for traditional laboratory equipment. Combined with the growing use of AI and machine learning tools to interpret results, these advances are making it possible to conduct more tests in non-traditional and retail settings. 

Point-of-need testing serves as an intermediary between at-home testing and full-scale clinical laboratory services. Facilities with small staffs can collect and analyze more complex specimens than is possible with at-home tests. Point-of-need equipment is easy enough to use that it doesn’t require specially trained staff, so it can be offered in more locations. This creates more opportunities to expand testing options, bring solutions closer to patients’ homes and workplaces, and make it easier to get testing for diagnostic and monitoring purposes.

Reimagining rural health care

The integration of diagnostic advancements such as point-of-need diagnostics, wearable devices, and telehealth into rural health care systems holds immense promise for overcoming unique rural challenges. These technologies can empower local health care providers with the tools and knowledge needed to deliver specialized care locally. By providing quicker, more convenient, and accessible health care solutions, these innovations can significantly improve patient outcomes and overall community health.

Fully realizing the potential of these technologies requires rethinking how care is provided. Simply incorporating new technology into existing health care delivery models will limit what is possible. This transformation requires a shift toward more flexible and adaptive health care systems that can seamlessly integrate new diagnostic tools and telehealth services. By taking advantage of technological advances, rural health care can offer comprehensive, high-quality care that better meets the needs of rural communities.

NRHA adapted the above piece from Mayo Clinic, a trusted NRHA partner, for publication within the Association’s Rural Health Voices blog.

About the author: William Morice II, M.D., Ph.D., is the president and CEO of Mayo Collaborative Services, which includes Mayo Clinic Laboratories, Mayo Clinic Cardiovascular Services and Mayo Clinic BioPharma Diagnostics. These diagnostic companies help health care and biopharma industry professionals worldwide advance patient care, strengthen their practice, and broaden access to Mayo Clinic expertise.