EC Nursing and Healthcare

This study explores the potential of virtual care solutions to enhance healthcare access in the rural areas of Eastern Saudi Arabia. Inaccessibility due to geography, poor healthcare infrastructure, and workforce shortages have historically worked against equitable service delivery. Despite major investments at the national level in digital health, the rural communities continue to face connectivity issues with respect to broadband, an underdeveloped telehealth infrastructure, and peculiar socio-cultural barriers to accepting virtual services.

Employing a mixed-methods approach, data were collected quantitatively through structured surveys and qualitatively through interviews with healthcare professionals and observations at healthcare facilities.

The analysis shows that virtual care has led to greater access to healthcare sectors, reduction of travel-related concerns, and chronic disease management. Systemic challenges include poor internet infrastructure, lack of telehealth standard protocols, and lack of digital literacy among the elderly. The study emphasized the need for strengthened rural digital infrastructure, standardized virtual care workflows, culturally sensitive service design, and robust training for healthcare providers. The study also aligned with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 goals and proposed actionable recommendations to integrate telehealth sustainably into rural healthcare delivery.

This research contributes valuable insights for policymakers, healthcare administrators, and technology developers striving to bridge the rural-urban healthcare divide and promote equitable health outcomes through digital innovation.

 Keywords: Virtual; Healthcare; Telemedicine; Patients; Hospitals; Health Care Management

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