Implementation of Telehealth Services in Rural Public Libraries

Posted by Liz Morris on March 8th, 2024 Posted in: Blog

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We’re pleased to share an upcoming learning opportunity in NNLM’s Bridging the Digital Divide: Telehealth and Libraries webinar series. Register now to join us on Wednesday, April 3 at 12 PM PT for a free webinar about Implementation of Telehealth Services in Rural Public Libraries. The webinar will be recorded.

A lack of access to healthcare professionals is a key contributing factor to poor health outcomes in the United States. Telehealth services have the potential to improve those outcomes by removing geographic barriers and providing timely care with healthcare providers and specialists. However, gaps in accessing telehealth exist in rural areas: citizens may lack internet access, a private space, or the digital literacy skills necessary to benefit from telehealth.

Public libraries are increasingly recognizing the importance of facilitating access to telehealth services to their communities. These services can vary widely based on the resources and needs of the library and the community. This webinar will highlight a project in Colorado to fund the development of telehealth services in rural library sites across the state. You will learn more about the project, how participating sites are developing their telehealth services, and resources for networking and training. The project is a partnership between the Colorado State Library and the Colorado Office of eHealth Innovation.

You can learn more about NNLM’s activities related to telehealth in this Public Libraries Online blog post. Our telehealth interest group will present insights from our efforts in several forums this spring, including at two events happening in Region 5: the Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center conference in Seattle, and the 2024 ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Diego. We hope to see many of you at these events!