Navigating Telehealth Challenges: Rural Perspectives on Technology Access and Trust

This study delves into the adoption and challenges of telehealth services in rural settings, examining racial and locational influences on usage. Employing qualitative methods, it draws on 30 detailed interviews with both healthcare providers and patients in two racially diverse, economically disadvantaged towns in Southern Illinois from fall 2021 to spring 2023. Our findings indicate that insufficient internet access and lack of necessary devices are significant factors in the reluctance of rural residents to embrace telehealth services. Additionally, this study reveals a major barrier: a deep-seated mistrust in the telehealth infrastructure's ability to safeguard private medical information. Notably, our results show that Black participants have heightened concerns regarding the health care industry's capacity to maintain the confidentiality of their medical data.