2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Assessing the Sustainability Impacts of Telehealth and Digital Inclusion to Inform a Benefit–Cost Framework for a Mid-Atlantic U.S. City

Telehealth emission research has gained increasing attention from the post pandemic era, as evidenced by a rise in publication, reflecting a growing concern for the environmental impact of human activities. Its platforms have potential utility for providing practical ways to reduce travel demand, lower personal costs, and expanding access to care and benefits through environmental and digital equity. This systematic review analyzed 124 peer-reviewed studies to evaluate measurable sustainability outcomes relevant to a Mid-Atlantic U.S. city. Using PRISMA 2020 guidelines, the review extracted quantitative indicators across environmental, economic, and social dimensions. The results show that 69 studies reported environmental or emissions outcomes, with CO₂ referenced in 54 occurrences and greenhouse-gas measures in 22 occurrences. Distance-based emissions estimation appeared; 38 counts, while life-cycle assessment appeared; 20 counts, indicating that most studies relied on direct travel-replacement calculations rather than full energy-system modeling. Despite these efforts, 46% of studies did not specify any valuation method, limiting comparability and reducing the usefulness of reported emissions data for policy or Benefit–Cost analysis (BCA). Economic measurement was more frequent; 78 studies documented patient-time or travel-savings, and 66 reported system-level cost changes, though only 11studies conducted formal economic evaluation. Digital-inclusion conditions were less consistently reported, with 32 studies measuring broadband, device access, or digital readiness, despite 72 studies focusing on underserved populations. These gaps show that environmental and equity benefits often depend on digital access that is uneven across urban regions such north central Maryland From all purpose, the evidence indicates that telehealth can efficiently reduce emissions, save time for patients, and ease transportation burdens, but stronger methodological reporting and clearer integration of digital-equity factors are needed to support Mid-Atlantic sustainability planning and engineering-education efforts. The review provides a foundation for improving telehealth evaluation tools, teaching sustainability modeling, and informing future Benefit–Cost guidance for digital-health initiatives.

Authors

John Afam Ujah http://orcid.org/https://0009-0002-9803-0592 University of Maryland College Park [biography]

John Ujah holds a Master of Engineering in Project Management from the University of Maryland
and has a background in civil engineering. His research focuses on the sustainability evaluation of digital
health systems, telehealth environmental impacts, and benefit–cost analysis of infrastructure technologies.
His work explores how telehealth and digital inclusion can contribute to sustainable urban systems and
engineering education.
Julius Ogaga Etuke http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2710-2803 Morgan State University [biography]

Julius Ogaga Etuke is a seasoned civil engineer and Ph.D. Candidate in Civil Engineering at Morgan State University, where his research focuses on sustainable and resilient infrastructure engineering. With over 15 years of consulting and project leadership experience, primarily in Nigeria's infrastructure landscape, he brings a robust, practical perspective to academic inquiry. His doctoral research is at the cutting edge of transportation resilience, integrating virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), climate adaptation modeling, and data-driven solutions to improve disaster preparedness and risk mitigation in complex transportation systems. As a COREN-registered engineer and member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, his work emphasizes impactful research and consultancy that bridges structural design principles with urgent sustainability and resilience challenges.
Dr. Oludare Adegbola Owolabi P.E. Morgan State University [biography]

Dr. Oludare Owolabi, a professional engineer in Maryland, joined the Morgan State University faculty in 2010. He is the director of the Sustainable Infrastructure Development, Smart Innovation and Resilient Engineering Research Lab, Department of Civil Engineering at Morgan State University.
Dr. Uttam Gaulee http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3010-2812
Zita Olugbuo http://orcid.org/0009-0004-2292-7170 Arizona State University Tempe, Arizona [biography]

Zita is currently a Masters in Sustainability Leadership Student at Arizona State University USA. She also holds a Master’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg South Africa, BSc in Geology from University of Calabar, a Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Geology from University of Port Harcourt in Nigeria, West Africa.
With over a decade of experience as a geo-environmental professional, her background includes experience in water engineering and in oil and gas consulting. Sustainability has remained a core focus throughout her career, bridging academic and professional experience in natural resource management specifically within water resources, sustainable consumption and production, resource efficiency and environmental geology.
Samuel Sola Akosile Morgan State University [biography]

Samuel Akosile is a Ph.D. student in Sustainable Infrastructure and Resilience Engineering at Morgan State University, within the Department of Civil Engineering. He currently works as a Research Assistant, contributing to innovative studies in the field of civil infrastructure. His primary research area focuses on sustainable design for pavement systems, aiming to develop environmentally responsible, durable, and cost-effective solutions for modern transportation networks. Samuel’s work explores the integration of green materials, lifecycle assessment, and resilient engineering practices in pavement design. Through his research, he seeks to address key challenges in infrastructure sustainability while promoting long-term resilience in the face of climate change and increasing urban demands
Dr. Olushola V. Emiola-Owolabi http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-8521-5769 Morgan State University [biography]

Olushola Emiola-Owolabi is an engineering pedagogy specialist, researching active learning in engineering classrooms and specializing in qualitative methods research on teaching and learning – particularly in remote synchronous learning environments.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 21, 2026, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 24, 2026