Remote rural places have always experienced inequity in access to health care facilities and services. Even where places are equipped with facilities, the availability of trained health care providers is a challenge.

Recent advances in technology have enabled clinicians to deploy telemedicine in remote locations. Telehealthcare provides a holistic approach to health and wellbeing by improving access. However, multiple barriers still exist to implement telehealthcare and to scale-up the available technology.

Use of telehealthcare for the management of Chronic Respiratory Disorders (CRDs) in India is not yet proven, hence a feasibility study will help to explore barriers and facilitators to the successful implementation of teleconsultation. This could be done by documenting views, opinions and experiences of opinion leaders and by understanding the perception of the stakeholders, including providers and patients, towards doctor-to-doctor teleconsultation.

This study will generate evidence for creating a policy on ‘Management of overall chronic diseases at remote rural area in India using teleconsultation’.

For further information, see: https://www.ed.ac.uk/usher/respire/phd-studentships/rutuja-patil