by Jeanae DuBois, Chief Marketing Officer, Bitwise Technology Consulting Jeanae DuBois, Chief Marketing Officer, Bitwise Technology Consulting The past year’s pandemic struck a painful blow to health organizations’ pre-COVID patient engagement efforts. A recent report detailed fewer patient visits amidst coronavirus fears and stay-at-home orders. People are simply not going into clinics to address non-COVID medical needs. The result is more serious health issues developing, such as cancers being found at later stages and chronic conditions advancing beyond easy treatment options. As patient engagement strategies ramp up, mobile communication channels are becoming more attractive for reaching those living in geographically isolated areas, far from their medical providers. While video visits have replaced many non-urgent in-person visits, those in rural areas struggle to use even telemedicine options due to lack of access or unreliable broadband connectivity. The travel is too far and the technology is not part of their daily lives making healthcare completely out of reach.