Between the Lakes: Understanding Telehealth Perceptions and Usage in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
Marquette, Mich. (October 17, 2024) - Rural communities across the country struggle to obtain quality health care. The Upper Peninsula (U.P.) of Michigan is a case in point. Most counties in the U.P. average only one hospital, leaving residents with lengthy travel times — sometimes several hours — just to receive medical care. In addition, the U.P. has an older population, as more than 1 in 4 U.P. residents are age 65 and older — a demographic that typically requires more frequent medical attention and faces greater mobility challenges.
The geographical location of the U.P. poses issues as well. Long, cold, snowy winters make travel to and from health care facilities dangerous, if not impossible, at times. Limited health care facilities, combined with a high aging population and harsh weather conditions, makes telehealth a solution to bridge the health care gap in the U.P.
Telehealth is defined as the use of online resources and technologies that connect patients to their providers without having to leave their homes. Common uses of telehealth include video chat, texting, emailing, or remote monitoring devices that send vital information to providers in real time. The Central Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Regional Commission (CUPPAD), headquartered in Escanaba, Mich., recognized a need in its community for additional health care resources and sees telehealth as a viable solution. CUPPAD partnered with Connected Nation (CN) to learn more about how residents in the central U.P. are using telehealth and related technologies.
CUPPAD Region
Key findings
In this comprehensive study, CN surveyed 1,800 households across the six counties in the CUPPAD region, which include Alger, Delta, Dickinson, Marquette, Menominee, and Schoolcraft. In addition, CN researchers met with residents and regional health care professionals to discuss their thoughts on telehealth usage and the health care landscape in the U.P.
The survey results indicate that 87.3% of respondents have used telehealth in the past. Among those who have used telehealth, the study found that they are younger, on average, and live in households with higher annual incomes. Respondents are also more likely to use telehealth if they live in a household with children. The most common telehealth modalities, through which patients interact with their health care provider online, are email (43%), text messaging (32%), and the provider’s website (31%).
When it comes to interacting with their health care provider, nearly 3 out of 5 respondents (57%) prefer telehealth for some (or all) of their health care needs, or they have no preference when it comes to meeting with a health care provider in person or online. These data indicate that many U.P. residents already rely on telehealth, and many others are open to using it.
Respondents’ top telehealth concerns are the possibility that health issues may not be addressed in a telehealth visit, the privacy of patient information, and the frequency of which a health care provider checks or responds to the telehealth app being used. Since many of these concerns stem from a lack of information regarding telehealth modalities, CN recommends that information sessions and trainings be made available to people who are interested in using telehealth but are unfamiliar with it.
According to health care professionals in the U.P., the region has insufficient health care resources, especially when it comes to specialty care. Expanding telehealth would greatly benefit the U.P. by connecting thousands of people to health resources that may otherwise be out of reach. However, this will not be possible without the expansion of broadband in the region.
More than 10,000 households in the CUPPAD region do not subscribe to home internet service. CN recommends that the state take advantage of the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program and Digital Equity Act funds to make broadband infrastructure more available to underserved areas, so that these remote regions in the U.P. can use high-speed internet to access valuable resources like telehealth.
To learn more about how Michiganders are using telehealth, and CN’s recommendations to expand its usage, view the full report here.
About the Author: Shauna Plath is a Connected Nation Research Assistant based in Denver, Colorado. Shauna is responsible for using qualitative and quantitative techniques to interpret data collected through surveys, focus groups, and other public-facing methodologies. Shauna also works with internal and external stakeholders to help develop research and provide critical information in support of the Connected Nation mission.