Telehealth's promise depends on reliable connectivity, but a recent study finds that roughly 12 million Americans cannot use virtual care because broadband is unavailable or too slow. The affected population is heavily concentrated in rural areas, where distance and limited local services make telehealth especially valuable.
The findings point to a persistent digital divide in healthcare. Even as hospitals and clinics expand remote consultations, patients without adequate internet are left out of that care model. Experts cited in the report note that rural communities stand to gain substantially from better broadband access, making the gap not just a technology problem but a health equity concern.
Closing the barrier would likely require investment in rural broadband infrastructure and policies that treat connectivity as part of healthcare delivery. Without such efforts, telehealth risks widening disparities instead of narrowing them.