Reducing Health Inequity for Children and Young People in Rural Australia: Are Digital Interventions a Panacea? A Rural Generalist's Commentary

Aims

To explore the role of digital interventions in improving health equity for children and young people (CYP) in rural Australia from a rural generalist's perspective.

Context

Rural Australian CYP experience worse health outcomes than their urban peers and have insufficient access to early intervention and support. Rural paediatric outpatient waiting times as long as 6 years have been reported, with some regions having no services. Digital interventions have expanded since the COVID pandemic, providing new opportunities to improve quality and access to care for CYP in rural settings.

Approach

Here we provide a synthesis of the literature and health policy, from the perspective of a clinician working in rural Australian paediatric care, to describe the role and limitations of digital interventions to support CYP in rural areas.

Conclusion

Digital interventions such as telephone and video consultations, online tools, child-friendly robot ward rounds, and digital GP-paediatrician co-consulting models show great promise in helping to bridge the gap in health outcomes for rural Australian CYP. Models of care that utilise digital components can provide care closer to home for rural families; however, research to evaluate the effectiveness of these models in the Australian context is lacking. Infrastructure challenges, cultural considerations, and patient preferences limit the utility of digital interventions for some populations. A panacea? Unfortunately, not; however, these technologies herald an exciting new phase in healthcare for rural Australian CYP, and digital interventions are likely to play an increasingly important role in increasing access to care for this population.