A systematic review of the scope and impact of rural primary healthcare innovations using digital health technology

William MacAskill, Pukhraj Gill, Christina Woloszczuk, Khorshed Alam, Katharine Wallis, Matthew McGrail, Srinivas Kondalsamy‐Chennakesavan, Bushra Nasir · 2026 · BMJ Open

Summary. Digital health technologies in rural primary healthcare—particularly telemedicine and remote monitoring—improve accessibility and health outcomes while reducing costs. A systematic review of 66 studies found these interventions work best for chronic conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Success depends on practitioner endorsement, process standardization, and patient satisfaction. Key barriers include staff workload and patient non-compliance. The review recommends government funding and flexible policies to support digital healthcare expansion in rural areas.

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@article{macaskill-2026-systematic-review-scope-impact-rural,
  title   = {A systematic review of the scope and impact of rural primary healthcare innovations using digital health technology},
  author  = {William MacAskill and Pukhraj Gill and Christina Woloszczuk and Khorshed Alam and Katharine Wallis and Matthew McGrail and Srinivas Kondalsamy‐Chennakesavan and Bushra Nasir},
  journal = {BMJ Open},
  year    = {2026},
  doi     = {10.1136/bmjopen-2024-097874},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-097874}
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - A systematic review of the scope and impact of rural primary healthcare innovations using digital health technology
AU  - William MacAskill
AU  - Pukhraj Gill
AU  - Christina Woloszczuk
AU  - Khorshed Alam
AU  - Katharine Wallis
AU  - Matthew McGrail
AU  - Srinivas Kondalsamy‐Chennakesavan
AU  - Bushra Nasir
JO  - BMJ Open
PY  - 2026
DO  - 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-097874
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-097874
ER  - 

Details

DOI

10.1136/bmjopen-2024-097874

Countries

United States

Regions

North America

Categories

rural-healthcare, broadband-and-digital

Added

2026-04-28