Dr. Maria Santos recognized that many rural communities lacked access to specialized medical care. To address this gap, she implemented...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
Dr. Maria Santos recognized that many rural communities lacked access to specialized medical care. To address this gap, she implemented a comprehensive telemedicine program. Through video consultations and remote monitoring, Santos could treat patients across vast geographic distances. Her program focused on both routine preventive care for everyday health maintenance and specialized treatment for complex chronic conditions. This dual approach encouraged patients to see connections between ongoing wellness and disease management. The telemedicine platform enabled Santos to serve communities previously isolated from quality healthcare and supported her mission to reduce health disparities in underserved areas.
According to the text, what does the passage suggest about Santos's telemedicine approach?
The telemedicine approach helped Santos use medical expertise to bridge healthcare gaps, especially for underserved communities.
Santos achieved significant cost savings once she began implementing telemedicine consultations.
The telemedicine approach involved using technology that was easily accessible to Santos.
Santos was among the first doctors to implement comprehensive telemedicine programs.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Dr. Maria Santos recognized that many rural communities lacked access to specialized medical care.' |
|
| 'To address this gap, she implemented a comprehensive telemedicine program.' |
|
| 'Through video consultations and remote monitoring, Santos could treat patients across vast geographic distances.' |
|
| 'Her program focused on both routine preventive care for everyday health maintenance and specialized treatment for complex chronic conditions.' |
|
| 'This dual approach encouraged patients to see connections between ongoing wellness and disease management.' |
|
| 'The telemedicine platform enabled Santos to serve communities previously isolated from quality healthcare and supported her mission to reduce health disparities in underserved areas.' |
|
Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Dr. Santos developed a comprehensive telemedicine program that uses technology to provide both preventive and specialized medical care to rural communities that previously lacked access to quality healthcare.
Argument Flow: The passage begins by establishing a healthcare access problem in rural areas, then presents Santos's telemedicine solution. It explains how the program works technically and describes its dual focus on both routine and specialized care. Finally, it connects this approach to the broader impact of serving isolated communities and reducing health disparities.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
What's being asked? What the passage suggests about Santos's telemedicine approach - we need to identify what the passage implies or indicates about her approach.
What type of answer do we need? A characterization or description of Santos's telemedicine approach based on what the passage tells us.
Any limiting keywords? 'According to the text' means we must stick to what's explicitly stated or clearly suggested in the passage - no outside knowledge.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Based on our analysis, the correct answer should capture that Santos's telemedicine approach:
- Addresses a healthcare access problem (the gap in rural communities)
- Uses her medical expertise through technology (video consultations, remote monitoring)
- Specifically serves underserved/isolated communities who previously lacked access
- Has a mission-driven purpose to reduce healthcare disparities
- The passage emphasizes both the problem-solving aspect (bridging gaps) and the focus on underserved communities
The telemedicine approach helped Santos use medical expertise to bridge healthcare gaps, especially for underserved communities.
Santos used telemedicine to bridge healthcare gaps by applying her medical expertise to serve underserved communities.
✓ Correct
- This perfectly captures what we found in our analysis
- 'Bridge healthcare gaps' matches Santos addressing the access problem we identified
- 'Medical expertise' aligns with her being a doctor providing specialized and preventive care
- 'Underserved communities' directly reflects the passage's emphasis on rural areas lacking access and reducing disparities
Santos achieved significant cost savings once she began implementing telemedicine consultations.
Santos achieved significant cost savings by implementing telemedicine technology.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims Santos achieved 'significant cost savings' from telemedicine
- The passage never mentions cost, savings, or financial benefits
- While cost savings might be a real benefit of telemedicine, we must stick to what the text actually tells us
The telemedicine approach involved using technology that was easily accessible to Santos.
Santos found that telemedicine technology was easily accessible to her.
✗ Incorrect
- Focuses on the technology being 'easily accessible to Santos'
- The passage doesn't discuss whether the technology was easy for Santos to access or use
- Misses the main point about serving patients, not Santos's ease of technology use
Santos was among the first doctors to implement comprehensive telemedicine programs.
Santos was among the first doctors to implement comprehensive telemedicine programs.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims Santos was 'among the first doctors to implement comprehensive telemedicine programs'
- The passage never indicates timing or whether Santos was a pioneer
- This introduces information not found in the text about her being first or early