Boosting Technology Adoption for Rural Medicaid Populations

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 20% of the population in the United Stated lives in rural areas. Medicaid recipients in these areas have historically created a statistical data blind spot for many states. That's concerning because almost half (47%) of children in rural areas and nearly one in five (18%) adults rely on Medicaid coverage.

For decades, the blind spot was accepted because a deeper statistical dive into that population was often deemed cost prohibitive. The widespread usage of smart devices has changed that. The Pew Research Center reports that 90% of Americans have a smartphone or device. Among the Medicaid population, 86% of recipients have access to a smart device they use daily.

With the 21st Century Cures Act and other technology mandates rolling out nationwide for home and community-based services, states and MCOs are focusing on smart devices to provide a channel for communication with doctors and providers, monitor health data via apps, support telehealth and remote consultations, and send medication reminders. These insights go a long way to resolve the blind spots in rural healthcare and will ultimately add to the overall effectiveness and integrity of Medicaid programs.

Here's a quick look at how to help rural populations and providers use smart devices effectively to receive and send health information securely.

Preparing the Populations You Serve

Frequent communication is the best way to drive home both the importance and benefits of virtual healthcare via smart devices.

• Increase outreach efforts using multiple tools – emails, phone calls, mailers, case manager involvement, claim remittance messaging
• Organize road shows with local health departments and provider associations to provide hands-on demonstrations
• Promote working through in-person barriers with virtual opportunities, such as video examples
• Establish stakeholder advisory groups to ensure communications are effective and changes are possible and helpful

Preparing Staff to Support and Assist with Changes

Rural healthcare recipients aren't the only ones who need to adapt to the use of smart devices in healthcare. You'll need to plan for increased training for providers and establish subject matter experts (SMEs) to answer questions and support internal users.

Vendor partnerships are also key to making full use of new technology. Vendors can provide tag team training opportunities and help resolve issues as they come up.

Internal groups may not welcome technology changes, which makes frequent communications with clinicians and administrators just as important as it is with individuals receiving care. Align perceptions of the new technology with the benefits of making the change.

• Create a broad stakeholder group including all impacted teams
• Use the stakeholder group to foster collaboration throughout the organization and share input on what's working, what isn't and potential improvements
• Build up a staff that has relevant knowledge and experience to handle the specific populations served

Identify Barriers and Brainstorm Solutions

The barriers for technology adoption with rural populations are many, but they aren't insurmountable. As those barriers are identified, federal, state and local programs can mitigate them. Here are some examples.

• Wi-Fi stipend programs can increase access to networks
• Highlighting free or reduced cost smart device and mobile data programs
• Ensure consistent communications for updates and use a multi-prong approach with all outreach materials (email, phone, mailers, warm contact)
• Reduce inappropriate use of free-device programs by putting device checks into place and work through contracting with device suppliers to exclude device activities related to mandated programs as part of their data usage totals
• Communicate religious/cultural barriers relevant to technology providers and work to ensure there are appropriate options to maintain the data integrity of EVV and other needs

Best Practices and Lessons Learned in Successful Technology Adoption

Successfully transitioning to any new technology depends on clear communication with everyone involved. For organizations seeking to improve healthcare services to rural Medicaid populations, communication is extremely important because using the technology will change how they receive care. Your strategy should emphasize the benefits and include multiple channels of communication, including mail, email, phone calls and text messages. How-to videos and hands-on demos at road shows are also helpful in encouraging individuals to support the new technology.

Selecting a vendor that offers flexible support options and training for providers and recipients will also aid in promoting adoption by both clinicians and individuals.

What's Next? More Possibilities for Understanding Rural Medicaid Populations

The potential for more accurate data on Medicaid populations can lead to more participation in value-based care programs. Capturing information on social determinants of health (SDOH) also can point to better strategies that may improve outcomes.

As we begin seeing the results of adopting technology that supports virtual healthcare for rural Medicaid populations, grants and funding for additional network and mobile devices may become more widely available.

As technology continues to grow and becomes more engaged in Medicaid services, we'll need to review how the tools will interact and how to manage governance. The overall goal, of course, will be to continue improving insights into data that can point to better health strategies for rural Medicaid populations.