Navigating the Digital Divide: Ensuring Equitable Access to Virtual Care in Underserved Communities

Healthcare in the United States is increasingly using digital tools like telehealth and virtual care, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. But not all communities benefit the same way. People in rural areas and on tribal lands often have trouble because they don’t have good internet or the skills to use digital devices. This problem is called the digital divide. Medical practice administrators, owners, and IT managers need to work on fixing these problems so that everyone can get fair healthcare.

The digital divide is a big problem for expanding virtual care in many underserved areas. Over 22% of rural Americans and nearly 30% of people on tribal lands do not have reliable, affordable high-speed internet. This makes it hard to use virtual healthcare tools that need steady internet for video calls, remote monitoring, and managing digital health records.

Federally-Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) often serve these communities and are important for closing the digital gap. However, without good internet or enough digital skills, virtual care is hard to provide. This creates ongoing problems like fewer healthcare visits, longer wait times, and delays in care for those who need it most.

The digital divide is more than just having internet. It includes three parts:

• First-level digital inequality: Having physical access to broadband and devices.
• Second-level digital inequality: Having the skills and willingness to use technology.
• Third-level digital inequality: The results from using technology, like better health or education.

Knowing this helps medical administrators understand that just offering telehealth is not enough if patients don’t have reliable internet or can’t use the technology properly.

Staffing Shortages and the Role of Technology in Healthcare Access

The healthcare field has a big problem with not having enough workers. About 81% of healthcare leaders say that staff shortages cause delays in patient care. This means patients wait longer and fewer services are available, especially in places that already face challenges.

Digital health tools like virtual care, telehealth, and automation are useful to help with staff shortages. 82% of healthcare leaders prefer virtual care because it lets providers treat more patients from a distance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth visits grew a lot—Medicare telehealth visits went up 63 times from 2019 to 2020. This shows virtual care can help keep patients connected to healthcare.

Barriers Beyond Infrastructure: Digital Literacy and Competence

Having broadband is important but not enough to fix the digital divide in virtual care. People also need digital literacy, which means knowing how to use technology with confidence.

Research from California shows that adults with better digital skills were much more likely to use telehealth during the pandemic and were also more willing to keep using it. These skills include simple tasks like using smartphones and more complex ones like uploading health information and protecting personal data online.

People who struggle with digital skills often also don’t have good internet. This includes older adults, low-income groups, communities of color, and those living far from cities. Without programs to teach digital skills, these groups can miss appointments and have poorer health outcomes.

Healthcare providers can help by creating digital literacy programs. Working with places like libraries, schools, and community centers can teach patients how to use digital health tools. These programs also explain important topics like privacy and security to build trust in virtual care.

The Importance of Digital Infrastructure Advocacy and Workforce Development

Fixing the digital divide requires more than local efforts. It needs policies and investments in digital infrastructure. Healthcare leaders are asking governments and phone companies to expand broadband and invest in better networks like 5G, especially in rural and tribal areas.

Good digital infrastructure is the base that makes virtual care possible. Without it, even the best telehealth systems cannot work well. Having private spaces with internet access in locations like libraries or health centers also helps patients who don’t have good internet at home.

The healthcare workforce also needs ongoing training. About 83% of clinicians say that they need continuous education to keep up with new health IT tools, data security, and telehealth patient care methods. Training staff ensures virtual care runs smoothly and digital health tools are properly maintained in remote areas, reducing the need for outside help.

AI and Automation in Healthcare Workflows: Supporting Virtual Care Expansion

Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation are useful to reduce the workload on healthcare staff. This is especially helpful when there are not enough workers.

AI is used in phone systems that handle patient calls, like scheduling appointments, checking in patients, or answering basic questions. These systems can work 24/7, giving instant answers and letting human staff focus on harder tasks. This improves office efficiency, reduces waiting times, and helps patients get help faster.

AI is also used in clinical tasks. For example, Nicklaus Children’s Health System uses AI for automatic ultrasound measurements, which saves time and improves accuracy. AI can handle repetitive jobs well, so healthcare workers can spend more time caring for patients.

However, healthcare leaders say it’s hard to combine data from many different systems. About 90% of leaders face problems that raise costs and cause mistakes. Using AI tools to integrate data can improve care coordination, reduce unnecessary tests, and help teams focus on important tasks. This is especially important in underserved areas with fewer resources.

Beyond office help, AI-driven virtual care can assist in managing chronic diseases by allowing remote patient monitoring. This helps find problems early and provide timely care. These systems gather real-time data that, combined with healthcare professionals’ skills, improve health outcomes.

Advancing Equitable Virtual Care for Underserved Communities

As virtual care becomes more common in the U.S., healthcare leaders must address many barriers like internet access and digital skills. Just offering telehealth does not fix delays or access problems without a clear plan to solve the digital divide.

Investing in broadband and community training programs is needed. Teaching patients and healthcare workers how to use virtual care supports its lasting use. Organizations like FQHCs are important in building partnerships with local groups to provide more access points for virtual visits and reach out based on what the community needs.

AI and automation offer solutions to help healthcare staff and improve office operations. For example, AI-powered phone systems help handle patient calls efficiently, reducing wait times and easing staff workload. These technologies also support efforts to better connect data systems and give useful information for care coordination under tight resource limits.

By combining investments in infrastructure, education, staff training, and smart technology, medical practices can increase fair access to virtual care. This helps improve health in underserved areas, reduce delays, and meet growing healthcare needs in the digital age.