Factors That Influence Digital Health Implementation in Rural, Regional, and Remote Australia: An Overview of Reviews...

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Health Services Research
• Implementation Science

Background:

• Digital transformation offers potential to improve health and healthcare delivery.
• Significant, underexplored challenges exist for applying digital health in rural, regional, and remote (RRR) areas.
• Addressing these challenges is crucial for realizing the full impact of digital health in underserved regions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize evidence on factors influencing digital health implementation in RRR Australia.
• To recommend strategies for overcoming identified barriers to digital health adoption.

Main Methods:

• Conducted an overview of existing systematic and scoping reviews.
• Assessed review quality using the AMSTAR-2 tool.
• Mapped barriers and enablers using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and identified strategies using Expert Recommendations for Implementation Change (ERIC).

Main Results:

• Included three reviews focused on telehealth and remote monitoring.
• Identified 16 barriers and 12 enablers across five CFIR domains.
• Highlighted benefits like improved access, reduced travel, and enhanced patient satisfaction, despite evidence gaps in health outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Key factors influencing digital health implementation in RRR Australia were identified.
• Recommended strategies include tailoring interventions, fostering local leadership, structured planning, and resource mobilization.
• These strategies can facilitate successful digital health implementation in RRR settings.