‘Digital Deserts’ Send Doctors Out on House Calls to Fight Virus

Rural Washington state doctor Peter Rutherford is making house calls during the pandemic, reviving an antiquated option for patients without the high-speed internet connections necessary for remote treatment.

Chatting with physicians online has boomed during the pandemic via video-conferencing apps such as Google Meet, Zoom, Skype, and Apple FaceTime to keep patients and doctors from potentially exposing themselves and others to the coronavirus. But patients living in “digital deserts” without access to high-speed internet or adequate cellphone service may not have those options, forcing them to either risk exposure by visiting a doctor’s office or postpone necessary care.

“So, I’ll ...