IdeaFest
 

Title

Implementing Telehealth in Underserved Areas Throughout South Dakota

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

5-2020

Disciplines

Health Services Administration

Abstract

Most of South Dakota's population lives in rural communities. The South Dakota Department of Health shows that most of South Dakota is medically underserved. This is an unfortunate issue for South Dakota residents. We will be comparing statistics of South Dakota's underserved and served areas to the relevant statistics of North Dakota. Our goal is to assess the demographics of those who would want to use telehealth for treatment. Due to the cost of building more facilities, it is unreasonable to assume this issue will stop on its own. Therefore, implementing telehealth in underserved communities could drastically improve access and quality of care in underserved areas. Compared to North Dakota, South Dakota is slightly doing better with a 5% increase in served areas. However, this is still not acceptable for South Dakota residents. Overall, 70.08% of South Dakota is underserved. A start to this solution would be decreasing this number by 5% to around 65%. This 5% may seem incremental, however, change is needed within the state as soon as possible. Achieving this goal by July 2021 seems reasonable. Modern Day Healthcare has a unique take on telehealth with an exclusive business plan to bring registered nurses and other medical professionals to underserved areas. By implementing telehealth, South Dakota residents will receive accessible healthcare.

First Advisor

Carole South-Winter

Research Area

Health Services Administration

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