Bridging the Digital Divide: Developing Tech Support for Rural Veterans to Improve Telehealth Access

Elizabeth Marfeo, Elizabeth S. Chamberlin, Steven D. Shirk, Victoria Ngo, Maria Venegas, Cathy Cruise, Lauren R. Moo · 2025 · Innovation in Aging

Summary. Rural older Veterans face barriers to telehealth due to limited digital skills and poor infrastructure. The T-COACH program trains community volunteers to provide in-home technology education, helping Veterans access telehealth appointments. Implementation challenges include recruiting skilled rural volunteers, transportation constraints, and regulatory compliance. Success requires partnerships with local organizations, adequate resources, and sustainable funding to scale this approach.

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Marfeo, E., Chamberlin, E. S., Shirk, S. D., Ngo, V., Venegas, M., Cruise, C., & Moo, L. R.. (2025). Bridging the Digital Divide: Developing Tech Support for Rural Veterans to Improve Telehealth Access. Innovation in Aging. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaf122.2766

@article{marfeo-2025-bridging-digital-divide-developing-tech,
  title   = {Bridging the Digital Divide: Developing Tech Support for Rural Veterans to Improve Telehealth Access},
  author  = {Elizabeth Marfeo and Elizabeth S. Chamberlin and Steven D. Shirk and Victoria Ngo and Maria Venegas and Cathy Cruise and Lauren R. Moo},
  journal = {Innovation in Aging},
  year    = {2025},
  doi     = {10.1093/geroni/igaf122.2766},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igaf122.2766}
}

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TI  - Bridging the Digital Divide: Developing Tech Support for Rural Veterans to Improve Telehealth Access
AU  - Elizabeth Marfeo
AU  - Elizabeth S. Chamberlin
AU  - Steven D. Shirk
AU  - Victoria Ngo
AU  - Maria Venegas
AU  - Cathy Cruise
AU  - Lauren R. Moo
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Details

DOI: 10.1093/geroni/igaf122.2766
Countries: United States
Regions: North America
Categories: rural-healthcare, broadband-and-digital, general-innovation
Added: 2026-05-01