Extending health care access via telemedicine in public libraries

Abstract

Background: 

Despite the potential for telemedicine in public libraries to expand health care access to those living a long distance from care and in broadband poor areas, there are few libraries that collaborate with providers to extend access.

Purpose: 

To explore licensed health care providers' perspectives on telemedicine in public libraries as a method of improving equitable access to care for populations lacking the ability to connect to telemedicine from home.

Methods: 

We used a two-phase explanatory sequential mixed methods design with a quantitative strand followed by a qualitative strand. Surveys were analyzed descriptively. Interviews were analyzed thematically using descriptive content analysis.

Results: 

Of the 50 survey respondents, 13 were physicians and 36 were nurse practitioners (NPs); 12 NPs were interviewed. NPs were overwhelmingly supportive of telemedicine in public libraires, describing how connecting at-risk populations to a video visit (VV) allowed for a more thorough and accurate assessment than a phone call. Although several NPs were concerned with privacy, others considered a library to be more private than the home. Interviews revealed how chronic illness management may be the ideal visit type for public library-based telemedicine.

Conclusions: 

Given the importance of expanding access sites for telemedicine, NPs should consider partnering with libraries in their catchment areas where broadband access is sparse and patients must travel long distances to care.

Implications: 

Managing chronic illnesses using telemedicine in public libraries may be an important approach toward reducing health disparities in populations who live in long distances from care and do not have home-based internet access.