Published June 26, 2025
By Sylvia Trujillo, MPP, JD and Laken Harrel, MPH
Telehealth, Remote Monitoring, and AI Are Rising—But What’s Standing in the Way?
Across the U.S., digital health is gaining momentum. From telehealth and remote management services to artificial intelligence (AI) enabled services that promise to transform care delivery, the future of healthcare is increasingly digital. National leaders—from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to high-profile advocates like Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—are championing these technologies as essential for improving access, closing care gaps, and ensuring sustainability in rural communities.
But in rural California, the path forward is far from straightforward.
According to a 2025 report by the Center for Community Health and Evaluation, about half of all California adults (49%) reported using telehealth in the past year in 2021.1
Despite growing enthusiasm and significant investment, many rural providers are struggling to keep pace. Hindering progress:
- Infrastructure limitations
- Workforce shortages
- Unreliable broadband, and
- Underfunded implementation including lack of consistent and predictable payment
In addition, some patients may not be aware of their options for accessing care via telehealth or lack access to technology, connectivity, or practical support needed to access telehealth services, especially video telehealth.1
The result? A widening gap between policy ambitions and on-the-ground realities.
Listening to Rural Voices
To better understand these challenges—and to ensure rural perspectives shape the future of digital health—we have launched a statewide survey focused on real-world barriers to adopting telehealth, remote monitoring, and AI-enabled tools.
We’re inviting rural health leaders across California—CEOs, CMOs, clinical directors, IT staff, billing teams, providers, and digital champions—to share their experiences. The survey takes just 10 minutes and will directly inform future education, technical assistance, and funding strategies.
Why Your Input Matters
Your insights can help ensure that digital transformation efforts are grounded in the realities of rural care delivery. By participating, you’ll be helping to shape a more accessible and effective digital health future for California’s rural communities.
🕐 The deadline is approaching—don’t miss your chance to weigh in.
👉 Take the Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GXXY2BC
Let’s make sure rural providers in our State are not left behind in the digital health revolution—but they lead the way forward.
To learn more or request technical assistance, visit www.caltrc.org or reach out to our team directly.
Citations
1: Arora, N., & Jones, M. (2025). Telehealth Evolution in California: Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities. California Health Care Foundation.
https://www.chcf.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/THEvolutionCA2025.pdf
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