Abstract
BACKGROUND: Rural areas continue to grapple with a lack of access to healthcare despite the development of technologies like telehealth, artificial intelligence (AI), virtual and mixed reality, nanotechnology, and robotics. However, there are encouraging ways to get beyond these obstacles with the advent of AI tools. To close the healthcare gap in rural India, the research explores the viability and effectiveness of implementing AI solutions.
METHODS: A scoping review was used in the study to help define its objectives and parameters as well as to examine the efficacy and potential of AI tools in bridging the gap in rural healthcare. The information was taken from a number of databases such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar that contained English-language publications from January 2020 to December 2023. The data were recorded and screened with the help of electronic data processing software called "Rayyan," and the results were displayed thematically.
FINDINGS: The study shows how AI-driven solutions could be used to address and overcome healthcare access gaps, highlighting the potential for implementing AI technologies in rural healthcare settings. In order to successfully incorporate AI tools, the report also identifies barriers to their acceptance in rural healthcare and suggests joint efforts by healthcare providers, policymakers, and technology developers. In order to adopt AI in rural areas, this study requires supporting investments in capacity-building programs, digital infrastructure, and supportive legislative frameworks.
CONCLUSION: The paper emphasizes how AI is transforming healthcare in rural India and closing the gap in access. Healthcare professionals and legislators can overcome obstacles, provide local healthcare staff with better infrastructure, and enhance health outcomes for rural regions by utilizing AI technologies. The conclusions and suggestions help to advance the body of knowledge on using AI to provide appropriate healthcare, which will direct similar projects in the future.