Bridging the gap or widening the divide? Municipal decision-makers’ perceptions of healthcare digitalization in shrinking rural regions
Summary. Municipal decision-makers in shrinking rural Finnish regions view healthcare digitalization as a potential solution for aging populations, but worry it may deepen inequality rather than improve access. The study examines whether digital healthcare actually bridges gaps or widens divides in rural communities, considering both local accessibility and broader regional development impacts.
Cite this article
Kiviaho, A., & Einolander, J.. (2026). Bridging the gap or widening the divide? Municipal decision-makers’ perceptions of healthcare digitalization in shrinking rural regions. Heliyon. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2026.e44508
Kiviaho, Annamari, and Johannes Einolander. “Bridging the gap or widening the divide? Municipal decision-makers’ perceptions of healthcare digitalization in shrinking rural regions.” Heliyon, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2026.e44508.
Kiviaho, Annamari, and Johannes Einolander. 2026. “Bridging the gap or widening the divide? Municipal decision-makers’ perceptions of healthcare digitalization in shrinking rural regions.” Heliyon. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2026.e44508.
@article{kiviaho-2026-bridging-gap-widening-divide-municipal,
title = {Bridging the gap or widening the divide? Municipal decision-makers’ perceptions of healthcare digitalization in shrinking rural regions},
author = {Annamari Kiviaho and Johannes Einolander},
journal = {Heliyon},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1016/j.heliyon.2026.e44508},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2026.e44508}
}
TY - JOUR TI - Bridging the gap or widening the divide? Municipal decision-makers’ perceptions of healthcare digitalization in shrinking rural regions AU - Annamari Kiviaho AU - Johannes Einolander JO - Heliyon PY - 2026 DO - 10.1016/j.heliyon.2026.e44508 UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2026.e44508 ER -
Details
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.heliyon.2026.e44508
- Countries
- Finland
- Regions
- Europe
- Categories
- rural-healthcare, broadband-and-digital, regional-innovation-systems, general-innovation
- Added
- 2026-04-29