| | May 20218UTLOOKHealthcare Tech IN MY OPINIONTHE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE IS DIGITAL, TELEMEDICINE DESTINED FOR GREATNESS Since embarking on my graduate research study on telehealth in 2011, I have dedicated my career to the expansion of telehealth services in both urban and rural areas of Nevada. This has been an extremely rewarding journey, and I cannot imagine a more exciting time to be in the field of telehealth. OVERCOMING THE STIGMA The biggest challenge we seem to run into in telehealth is the stigma that patients and providers may associate with it--many believethe quality of care is reduced if delivered virtually. Luckily, that stigma is beginning to shift with more research and exposure on the effectiveness of digital medicine to deliver high-quality healthcare.Patients are beginning to see the unmatched value telehealth affords them, as it allows them access to top-notch care when and where they need it.CARING FOR UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS Telehealth has been critical in delivering care not only to urban settings, but to underserved communities as well. These communities may struggle to recruit and retain physicians because they are low incomeor less populated, making it difficult to sustain a successful practice. Leveraging telehealth has been an instrumental way to act as a force multiplier and extend healthcare to these communities. By Mitchell Fong, Director of Telehealth, Renown HealthMitchell Fong
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