Democratizing Healthcare Information Among Rural Communities: A Study of Digital Interventions

Digital media has revolutionized society through democratizing the delivery of information and creating an information society. In the healthcare sector, it offers newer opportunities for healthcare professionals through digital healthcare services such as telemedicine, electronic health records, and mHealth apps. This leads to enhanced access to health information and fosters a more inclusive society. The democratization of healthcare information is significant for rural populations, especially for marginalized communities. In this study, we explored how digital interventions by the Government of India in healthcare is enhancing access to healthcare information among rural communities. We looked into the digital infrastructural scenario among rural populations of India. We found various digital initiatives under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM). These initiatives include the ABHA number, the ABHA mobile app (PHR), the Healthcare Professionals Registry (HPR), and the Health Facility Register (HFR). These initiatives are helping to provide digital healthcare information and services to rural communities. ABDM targets to build digital healthcare infrastructure in India, which focuses on achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC). UHC aims to provide healthcare services in an efficient, accessible, inclusive, affordable, timely, and safe manner. This study concludes that emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, the internet of things (IoT), blockchain, and cloud computing offer opportunities for a comprehensive digital health ecosystem, enhancing access, improving outcomes, and reducing costs.