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Rural Health Information Hub

Dissemination Methods for Rural Telehealth Programs

It is important for rural programs to share information about their telehealth program with other organizations and the broader community, including experiences with implementation or expansion, lessons learned, and outcomes.

The best methods for sharing information about telehealth programs depend on the intended audience. Common methods of dissemination that rural programs are using include:

  • Posters or oral presentations at conferences
  • Radio or television broadcasts
  • Newspaper or print ads
  • Direct (mailed) marketing
  • Webinars
  • Social media
  • Sponsored events
  • Personal contact
  • Word of mouth
  • Online forums
  • Video or in-person demonstrations
  • Journal articles or other publications

Often, information about the telehealth program must be marketed to ensure success. For example, rural practices may need to create informational posters or send out notices to make patients aware of new telehealth programs that are available to them. Marketing methods may involve a combination of the dissemination tactics listed above. See the Marketing section in Module 4: Implementation Strategies for Rural Community Telehealth Programs for additional considerations.

Resources to Learn More

Telehealth Marketing Plan Development: A Step by Step Guide
Document
Provides information and tools to identify, develop, and implement telehealth marketing strategies. Features a modifiable marketing template for a variety of healthcare organizations — large community hospitals to small rural clinics. Offers sample marketing plans targeted to hospital administration and staff, providers, patients, supporting organizations.
Organization(s): California Telehealth Resource Center
Date: 2021