Enhancing access to care in northern rural communities via telehealth

• Published in: International Journal of Circumpolar Health
• Main Authors: Michael Jong, Ivar Mendez, Robert Jong
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2019
• Subjects: Telehealth; northern & rural; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic; Canada; Circumpolar Health; International Journal of Circumpolar Health
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2018.1554174; https://doaj.org/article/f45913434d9743019d86b2694d58efb9

The cost of providing health care in northern Canada is higher than the rest of Canada. Telehealth has the potential to reduce health care expenditures. Yet this is still underutilised in Canada and globally. This paper describes the services provided through telehealth in some northern regions of Canada. It provides recommendations on the requirements for setting up real presence telehealth and how utilisation can be enhanced. Telehealth offers potential benefits for health outcomes by increasing access to healthcare, and reducing expenditures.