Rural-urban differences in telehealth adoption among advanced practice registered nurses and their workplaces

Area of Science:

• Healthcare delivery
• Digital Health
• Nursing Practice

Background:

• Geographic disparities in telehealth utilization between rural and urban populations are significant.
• Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) are crucial for healthcare, especially in rural areas.
• Understanding telehealth adoption by APRNs and their workplaces in different geographic settings is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate rural-urban differences in telehealth adoption among APRNs.
• To examine rural-urban differences in telehealth adoption within APRN workplaces in the U.S.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cross-sectional study utilizing 2022 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses data.
• Sample included APRNs with active licensure employed in the U.S. as of December 31, 2021.
• Two-level mixed-effects logistic regression models assessed telehealth adoption in relation to rural-urban location at APRN and workplace levels.

Main Results:

• Telehealth adoption was highly prevalent for both APRNs and their workplaces.
• Rural workplaces showed higher observed telehealth adoption, but this was not statistically significant after adjustments.
• No statistically significant difference in telehealth adoption was found between rural and urban APRNs.

Conclusions:

• A high prevalence of telehealth adoption exists among APRNs and their workplaces.
• Telehealth adoption levels were comparable across rural and urban practice settings.
• Findings indicate widespread and equitable telehealth integration regardless of geographic location.