Text messages updating rural residents about COVID-19 are now being expanded to other health issues.
Cronkite News reports the platform created by the University of Arizona is meant to inform people who have less access to health care, including people of color, migrants and those who are immunocompromised.
It was created in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, The Center for Rural Health at the University of Arizona sent texts to more than 3,000 subscribers. Now, the platform has been updated to provide information on mental health, aging and other health-related issues.
Subscribers can utilize the two-way texting feature to update their preferences and give more information on their household’s health.
Rural residents often live in “medical deserts,” and must travel further than city residents to hospitals, medical clinics and specialists.