A University of Iowa study finds rural hospitals that use tele-medicine in their emergency rooms save money and find it easier to recruit new physicians. Marcia Ward, a professor of health management and policy in the U-I College of Public Health. Ward says Ward says many rural hospitals can’t staff their E-Rs with doctors who are trained in emergency medicine, so the use of tele-medicine can be an enormous plus and a literal lifesaver.

The U-I report found hospitals that switched to tele-E-R services found it easier to recruit new physicians because they could offer a better work-life balance, since the doctor wouldn’t have to cover an E-R shift. Ward says the model gives doctors more downtime, reducing burnout and increasing retention. Some rural residents — the patients — are hesitant to adapt to tele-medicine, she says, at least until they need it.