The problem
Virtual care changes where patients receive services, but its use varies geographically. Studying these patterns can help clarify access and environmental implications.
My contribution
I contributed to collaborative telemedicine research and visualization work at the University of Utah. I am second author on the emissions study and a co-author on the county-level access study.
Travel and emissions
The team’s 2024 observational study estimated the travel that telemedicine could replace. It reported a median round-trip distance of 49 miles and estimated annual U.S. emissions savings of approximately 1.44 million metric tons of CO₂.
These are study-level estimates under the paper’s assumptions, rather than directly measured reductions caused by an intervention.
Access and geography
The 2025 JAMIA Open study examined relationships between county-level telemedicine use, social vulnerability, broadband access, and rurality. This work connects geographical context with healthcare utilization.
What this demonstrates
Working with real-world health data, communicating spatial patterns, collaborating across disciplines, and interpreting observational results with appropriate limits.