Connected Nation's newest study reveals impact of remote monitoring in patients' perceptions of telehealth

BOWLING GREEN, Ky., Oct. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Connected Nation (CN) has released a report that offers new insight into how Americans' experiences with different telehealth modalities affect their attitudes about telehealth, and why these findings demonstrate a critical need to expand broadband solutions.

The report, titled "Vital signs of satisfaction: The role of remote monitoring in patients' perceptions of telehealth," focuses on one of telehealth's most promising innovations: remote monitoring. It's a new way to look at the many ways that telehealth can benefit rural Americans.

"Telehealth covers a wide variety of treatments, from online appointments with a doctor to robotic surgeries. This study looks at how telehealth users' attitudes can vary, depending on the type of service they use," said Chris McGovern, Director, Research Development, CN. "Rural residents tend to have more reservations about using telehealth services, but they may actually benefit the most – given that it can reduce travel time, costs, and transportation barriers."

Remote patient monitoring (RPM) technologies are data-driven solutions to resolving patients' health issues by transmitting health information to providers in real time. RPMs allow doctors to monitor their patients even from long distances.

"Many rural residents just don't have all the information on the variety of ways that telehealth can benefit them," McGovern explained. "Once you provide that information, perceptions improve. We also can't ignore that for rural residents to have access to the technology, they also need access to reliable, high-speed internet."

RPMs transmit information synchronously, meaning if coverage lapses, providers cannot receive the data necessary to keep patients healthy and safe. At the same time, transmitting health information in real time requires a low latency threshold.

If the transmission is delayed, providers may fail to catch life-threatening issues and intervene in time.

"Latency, or the lag time we experience online, is largely determined by the distance from an end-user to the physical location where data is exchanged with other networks and processed. For smaller cities and rural areas, that latency can be high because their data must travel to and through a distant internet exchange point (IXP) in a larger city — slowing down that data, sometimes significantly," said Brent Legg, Executive VP, Government Affairs, CN. "This scenario negatively impacts real-time applications such as lifesaving telehealth services and many others — affecting not only patients but local businesses, schools, rural hospitals, farm operations, and many others. The situation will only become more pronounced as we become more reliant upon AI."

CN is currently working with several partners to develop IXPs in more than 125 locations across the country – focusing on mid-size cities like Charleston, S.C.; Jackson, Miss.; Lubbock, Texas; Boise, Idaho; and Anchorage, Alaska. Click here for a full list of target sites.

The first CNIXP is right now being built on Wichita State University's Innovation Campus located in Wichita, Kan., and will open in spring 2026. To learn how to bring a CNIXP to your area, head to connectednation.org/ixp or email us at [email protected].

To download and read the full report and its findings on telehealth perceptions, click here.

About Connected Nation: Founded in 2001, the national nonprofit's mission is to improve lives by providing innovative solutions that expand access to and increase the adoption and use of broadband (high-speed internet) and its related technologies for all people. Everyone belongs in a Connected Nation. Learn more at connectednation.org.

SOURCE Connected Nation