Telemedicine access for rural families and caregivers
Official title: Telemedicine, Caregivers, and Rural Population Health
Funded at University of Kansas Lawrence · NIH-11372869 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A big-data study to see how expanding telemedicine in rural areas could affect the health and daily lives of caregivers with kids up to 11 years old.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Kansas Lawrence NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lawrence, United States) |
| Project start | April 15, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $229,436 |
| NIH project number | 5P20GM152280-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11372869 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Rural caregivers, predominantly women, with children aged 0-11 and who use or could use telemedicine services.
✕Less likely to help
Caregivers who do not have access to telemedicine infrastructure or who are not involved in pediatric caregiving may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project will use electronic health records data to understand whether easier access to telemedicine helps rural caregivers, many of whom juggle child care, farming tasks, and long travel times. Researchers will analyze patterns in healthcare access, costs, and reported wellbeing to identify potential improvements in support for families. The work aims to set up a foundation for a future, larger study that could guide telemedicine expansion in the Midwest.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could inform policies and programs that make telemedicine more accessible for rural families and reduce caregiver burden.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows telemedicine can improve access; this project tests the concept specifically for rural caregivers using big-data analysis.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Kansas Lawrence
Lawrence, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Heggeness, Misty Lee — University of Kansas Lawrence
- Study coordinator: Heggeness, Misty Lee
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.