Between limited avenues of travel, rugged terrain and lack of internet in some areas, rural patients in West Virginia have plenty of obstacles to overcome just seeking health care in-state. But efforts are underway to remove some of those obstacles.
Steve Davis, an associate professor with the WVU School of Public Health, and his team are preparing to launch a pilot program that utilizes telehealth to connect rural West Virginians with nurses who can help manage heart disease, cancer, unintentional injury, chronic lower respiratory disease and stroke — conditions identified by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention as more likely to affect rural patients than their urban counterparts.
