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During the past decade, information technologies have addressed the need for accessibility and cost-effectiveness to provide therapy services and improve the quality of rural health care. Occupational Therapists (OTs) work with individuals to achieve their self-care goals however access to these services is especially problematic in rural areas of the US. In the State of New Mexico, there are 30 counties out of a total of 33 deemed medically underserved with little or no access to OT services. Tele-Rehabilitation has been credited as providing greater cost effectiveness in treatment of the elderly population with management of chronic conditions. The use of videoconferencing in the provision of occupational therapy services is an appropriate method of providing individualized treatment for patients in their homes. Ongoing, high-quality research regarding Tele-OT in rural New Mexico will support the development and assessment of the quality of these services as they relate to improved patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]