Rural and remote care: Overcoming the challenges of distance

The challenges of providing quality respiratory care to persons living in rural or remote communities can be daunting. These populations are often vulnerable in terms of both health status and access to care, highlighting the need for innovation in service delivery. The rapidly expanding options available using telehealthcare technologies have the capacity to allow patients in rural and remote communities to connect with providers at distant sites and to facilitate the provision of diagnostic, monitoring, and therapeutic services. Successful implementation of telehealthcare programs in rural and remote settings is, however, contingent upon accounting for key technical, organizational, social, and legal considerations at the individual, community, and system levels. This review article discusses five types of telehealthcare delivery that can facilitate respiratory care for residents of rural or remote communities: remote monitoring (including wearable and ambient systems; remote consultations (between providers and between patients and providers), remote pulmonary rehabilitation, telepharmacy, and remote sleep monitoring. Current and future challenges related to telehealthcare are discussed.