Artificial Intelligence in Rural Healthcare Delivery: Bridging Gaps and Enhancing Equity through Innovation

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Balakrishnan, Kiruthika, Velusamy, Durgadevi, Hinkle, Hana E., Li, Zhi, Ramasamy, Karthikeyan, Khan, Hikmat, Ramaswamy, Srini, Shah, Pir Masoom
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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author Balakrishnan, Kiruthika
Velusamy, Durgadevi
Hinkle, Hana E.
Li, Zhi
Ramasamy, Karthikeyan
Khan, Hikmat
Ramaswamy, Srini
Shah, Pir Masoom
author_facet Balakrishnan, Kiruthika
Velusamy, Durgadevi
Hinkle, Hana E.
Li, Zhi
Ramasamy, Karthikeyan
Khan, Hikmat
Ramaswamy, Srini
Shah, Pir Masoom
contents Rural healthcare faces persistent challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, workforce shortages, and socioeconomic disparities that hinder access to essential services. This study investigates the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in addressing these issues in underserved rural areas. We systematically reviewed 109 studies published between 2019 and 2024 from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, and Scopus. Articles were screened using PRISMA guidelines and Covidence software. A thematic analysis was conducted to identify key patterns and insights regarding AI implementation in rural healthcare delivery. The findings reveal significant promise for AI applications, such as predictive analytics, telemedicine platforms, and automated diagnostic tools, in improving healthcare accessibility, quality, and efficiency. Among these, advanced AI systems, including Multimodal Foundation Models (MFMs) and Large Language Models (LLMs), offer particularly transformative potential. MFMs integrate diverse data sources, such as imaging, clinical records, and bio signals, to support comprehensive decision-making, while LLMs facilitate clinical documentation, patient triage, translation, and virtual assistance. Together, these technologies can revolutionize rural healthcare by augmenting human capacity, reducing diagnostic delays, and democratizing access to expertise. However, barriers remain, including infrastructural limitations, data quality concerns, and ethical considerations. Addressing these challenges requires interdisciplinary collaboration, investment in digital infrastructure, and the development of regulatory frameworks. This review offers actionable recommendations and highlights areas for future research to ensure equitable and sustainable integration of AI in rural healthcare systems.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2508_11738
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Artificial Intelligence in Rural Healthcare Delivery: Bridging Gaps and Enhancing Equity through Innovation
Balakrishnan, Kiruthika
Velusamy, Durgadevi
Hinkle, Hana E.
Li, Zhi
Ramasamy, Karthikeyan
Khan, Hikmat
Ramaswamy, Srini
Shah, Pir Masoom
Computers and Society
Artificial Intelligence
Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
Rural healthcare faces persistent challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, workforce shortages, and socioeconomic disparities that hinder access to essential services. This study investigates the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in addressing these issues in underserved rural areas. We systematically reviewed 109 studies published between 2019 and 2024 from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, and Scopus. Articles were screened using PRISMA guidelines and Covidence software. A thematic analysis was conducted to identify key patterns and insights regarding AI implementation in rural healthcare delivery. The findings reveal significant promise for AI applications, such as predictive analytics, telemedicine platforms, and automated diagnostic tools, in improving healthcare accessibility, quality, and efficiency. Among these, advanced AI systems, including Multimodal Foundation Models (MFMs) and Large Language Models (LLMs), offer particularly transformative potential. MFMs integrate diverse data sources, such as imaging, clinical records, and bio signals, to support comprehensive decision-making, while LLMs facilitate clinical documentation, patient triage, translation, and virtual assistance. Together, these technologies can revolutionize rural healthcare by augmenting human capacity, reducing diagnostic delays, and democratizing access to expertise. However, barriers remain, including infrastructural limitations, data quality concerns, and ethical considerations. Addressing these challenges requires interdisciplinary collaboration, investment in digital infrastructure, and the development of regulatory frameworks. This review offers actionable recommendations and highlights areas for future research to ensure equitable and sustainable integration of AI in rural healthcare systems.
title Artificial Intelligence in Rural Healthcare Delivery: Bridging Gaps and Enhancing Equity through Innovation
topic Computers and Society
Artificial Intelligence
Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.11738