Understanding Telemedicine Adoption Barriers in Rural Communities of India

Telemedicine is a revolutionary technology that has the potential to transform the health care delivery system. Access to healthcare is a huge problem in rural communities of developing nations and telemedicine can be a perfect solution. However, the adoption and usage of telemedicine has been slower than expected in developing nations. This paper tries to investigate the reasons for poor adoption of telemedicine from a patient and healthcare provider perspective. The paper focuses on rural communities of India and provides a framework for future research. eHealth literacy is an important theoretical concept that can be used to understand the slow adoption of telemedicine in developing countries. The research framework suggested in the paper will be relevant to regulators, healthcare providers and technology companies. Even though this paper is focused on India, it can be applicable to other developing countries.