Improving Access to Care for Indigenous Americans Via Telemedicine

Indigenous people face significant systemic barriers to accessing healthcare that result in worse health outcomes. The Indian Health Service (IHS) of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) exists to serve this community, but the remote regions where indigenous tribal nations are located makes getting care difficult. According to a new article in AJMC¸ telehealth can help increase access to all kinds of care, ranging from specialty services to emergency care.

According to Brian Erickson, “Just by pushing a button on the wall, on-site providers can bring in a virtual team of board-certified emergency physicians and critical care nurses for assistance with uncommon or complex procedures. The virtual team can observe the room via 2-way video to offer advice and give direction, where needed.”

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(Source: AJMC, October 16^th, 2022)