Bridging the Digital Divide: The Ethical Challenge of Access and Literacy in the India Telemedicine Market
Description: The primary non-market function of the India Telemedicine Market is to address rural and remote healthcare access, but this mission is threatened by the ethical challenges of digital literacy, data security, and existing socio-economic biases.
Telemedicine in India is hailed as a powerful tool for health equity, capable of connecting specialist doctors in urban centers with patients in rural villages. However, achieving this goal faces significant non-market hurdles. The sheer lack of digital literacy among large segments of the population, particularly the elderly and those with low formal education, creates a profound barrier to adoption. Furthermore, the reliance on stable internet connectivity and affordable smartphones means that the digital divide risks exacerbating, rather than alleviating, existing healthcare disparities. The ethical imperative is for government programs, like eSanjeevani, to integrate community health workers who can act…