Telehealth Network addresses health issues

Article body

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a threat, health care professionals and other experts are developing ways to share information to aid in combating the virus, and to educate about protection and prevention.

Auburn has joined the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System to form the Telehealth Network — a group of faculty and administrative professionals with diverse expertise who are holding regular meetings by virtual assembly to share information.

The group formed over the summer, according to Dr. Jennifer Kerpelman, associate dean and a professor in the College of Human Sciences. Discussions include not only the current COVID-19 pandemic, but also information about such chronic conditions as diabetes and hypertension, as well as research funding opportunities.

“The group consists of a broad range of very knowledgeable people, and it continues to expand,” Kerpelman said. “The COVID-19 pandemic certainly elevates the need for this group, but the network also serves as a significant information source for many important topics that relate to health, research and education.”

The Telehealth Network goals and issues it strives to address include:

• Disproportionate chronic health conditions among underserved and rural populations;

• More effective use of technology for extending education, assessment and treatment options;

• Establishing a network of diverse collaborators engaged in advancing the capacity and reach of telehealth;

• Building on the strengths of multiple institutions and systems to provide innovative and effective prevention and intervention programs;

• Extending the reach of health education, assessment and treatment that help reduce health disparities and promote health equity;

• Facilitating novel, applied research activities by engaging rural and underserved populations;

• Seeking and sustaining multiple streams of funding to support telehealth research and practice.