Viewpoint Proposes Five Research Priorities for Rural Healthcare

A viewpoint in the Journal of General Internal Medicine argues that rural healthcare needs a dedicated research and policy agenda because approaches designed for cities often don’t match rural infrastructure, workforce, or geography. The authors identify five priorities: aging in rural America, broadband and interoperability, technology assessment, workforce sustainability, and implementation science. They cite a national review of 70 rural implementations showing most evidence-based interventions required substantial adaptation from their urban origins. The gap is described in concrete terms: one in four rural residents lacks high-speed internet versus fewer than one in 20 urban residents, more than 150 hospitals have closed since 2010, and rural life expectancy is three to four years shorter than in cities. The paper also highlights Project ECHO, launched in New Mexico in 2003, as an example of locally adapted telementoring for hepatitis C, with reported reductions in wait times and cure rates comparable to urban centers. It notes federal broadband funding of $42.45 billion and that Medicare telehealth reimbursement flexibilities expired in 2025.