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Transforming Rural Healthcare

 

Information Technology (IT), Artificial Intelligence (AI)

and Healthcare Project Management

SERIES ARTICLE

By Dr. Deepa Bhide, MBBS, DCH, PMP

Hyderabad, India


Coffee in hand, I stared out at the cityscape, but my mind was miles away, in the heart of rural communities where access to healthcare remains a significant challenge. The future of healthcare lies in our ability to leverage technology to bridge the gap between urban centers and remote areas. My gaze fell upon a worn map of the region, dotted with small towns and villages scattered across the landscape. Each dot represented a community, a group relying on often limited healthcare services. The challenges were evident in long distances, lack of specialists, and difficulty accessing timely diagnostics. However, considering the rapid advancements in information technology related to rural healthcare and, specifically, the rise of artificial intelligence, a sense of possibility emerged.

What is the global rural healthcare landscape?

Access to quality healthcare is a fundamental human right, yet a stark disparity persists between urban and rural populations worldwide. This inequity manifests in numerous ways, from limited access to healthcare professionals and specialized services to inadequate infrastructure and technological gaps. This global challenge affects developed and developing nations, though the specific manifestations and severity vary by region. For example, in remote areas of Australia, the “tyranny of distance” creates significant barriers to accessing specialist care. In sub-Saharan Africa, a combination of limited resources, inadequate infrastructure, and a shortage of trained healthcare workers contributes to high rates of maternal mortality and preventable diseases. Indigenous communities in North America often face unique challenges related to cultural sensitivity, historical trauma, and geographic isolation. Even in developed countries with robust healthcare systems, like parts of the United States and Europe, rural areas struggle with physician shortages and limited access to specialized care.

Amidst these challenges, the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) offer a panacea for healthcare support. AI’s capacity to analyze vast datasets, automate tasks, and provide decision support holds the potential to overcome geographical barriers, augment the capabilities of existing healthcare workers, and bring specialized expertise to even the most remote corners of the world. This global landscape of rural healthcare, coupled with the emerging potential of AI, underscores a critical need for innovative solutions that can bridge the divide and bring quality care to underserved populations. The global landscape of rural healthcare underscores a crucial need for innovative solutions to bridge the divide and bring quality care to underserved populations.

What factors contribute to the difficulties in providing adequate healthcare in rural settings?

  • Limited access to qualified healthcare professionals – A shortage of physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals in rural areas leads to delayed care and poorer patient outcomes. This scarcity of trained personnel hinders the ability to address both individual and community health concerns effectively.
  • The burden of chronic disease and insufficient preventive care – Rural communities experience a higher prevalence of chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and mental health issues. These conditions require ongoing, comprehensive management. Additionally, limited access to preventive care and early detection services exacerbates these challenges, leading to higher infection rates and mortality, particularly during epidemics. This is compounded by factors such as limited health literacy and access to healthy food options, often prevalent in rural settings globally.
  • Socioeconomic disparities – Differences in access to employment, education, healthcare, and other essential resources create significant economic disparities that negatively impact health outcomes in rural regions. These disparities are often linked to systemic inequalities and historical disadvantages rural communities face.

More…

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Editor’s note: This series is by Dr. Deepa Bhide, a practicing pediatrician with additional experience in information technology and project management. Her 2023 series of articles introduced readers to a range of important issues related to programs, projects and PM in healthcare.  In this new series, Dr. Bhide interviews experienced healthcare, IT and project professionals around the world and reflects on the impact of artificial intelligence on global healthcare. Learn more about Dr. Bhide in her author profile at the end of this article. To read previous works by Dr. Bhide, visit https://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/dr-deepa-bhide/

How to cite this paper: Bhide, D. (2025). Transforming Rural Healthcare: Information Technology (IT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Healthcare Project Management, series article, PM World Journal, Vol. XIV, Issue II, February. Available online at https://pmworldlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/pmwj149-Feb2025-Bhide-Transforming-Rural-Healthcare.pdf


About the Author


Dr. Deepa Bhide

Hyderabad, India

 

Dr. Deepa Bhide, MBBS, DCH, PMP, has over 20 years of professional experience where she has blended medical practice and research with IT and Project Management. She juggles consulting, training, and operations and is proficient in clinical medicine, project management, and healthcare information technology. Starting her career as a medical practitioner, she has worked with varied organizations before her current stint as director and clinical expert for Inventurus Knowledge Solutions.

Deepa’s growing interest and work in these areas, born from her day-to-day patient interactions, helped her view Project Management as a backbone of progressive healthcare. Her paper on “Patient Care – A Project Management Perspective” has received global recognition and acclaim. With a physician background as a solid foundation to leverage IT/PM skills and knowledge, Deepa has blended her broad-based experience and learnings to present a unified, holistic, and wholesome view of Project Management and Healthcare, a cross-domain confluence. Through various webinars, events, talks, and writings across platforms, Deepa has been an evangelist in championing global project management during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Gold medalist from Osmania University for standing First in the MBBS course, she pursued her DCH in Pediatrics and Child health. Deepa has served various roles in local and global Project Management Institute (PMI) regions. She remains actively engaged with PMI and has been a participant and speaker for various national and global meetings and online events.

Deepa lives in Hyderabad, India, and loves traveling, singing, and experimenting with global cuisine. She can be contacted at deepa.bhide@gmail.com.

To view other works by Dr. Bhide, visit her author showcase in the PM World Library at https://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/dr-deepa-bhide/