Technology and rural mental health.

In addition to the specific and pervasive rural issues of isolation and suitability of services, the rural mental health system faces many of the same problems as the health system in general: access and increasing costs. The introduction of technology adds the unknown dimensions of acceptability and feasibility. Technology has the potential to decrease the gap in services and improve education, support, and connectedness between the client and the provider. As an alternative to traditional face-to-face contact for those in rural and geographically dispersed areas, the Internet potentially can bridge the disparities in health care access for rural mental health services. With an improved understanding based on research, demonstration studies of model applications, and evidence of outcomes, the emerging technologies can serve as tools to achieve the major goals of preventing, assessment, and treating serious mental illnesses in the rural communities with less barriers and stigma. Copyright 2003, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.