Can technology enhance access to healthcare services in rural areas?
This article examines the gap between the universal right to healthcare and its actual accessibility in rural areas. We present twelve technological initiatives that could enhance service provision, categorized using a conceptual framework that considers the type of technology, maturity level, main type of care and urgency. The primary aim is to foster a public debate on the transformations needed to ensure equitable access without increasing environmental impact or unit costs, and exploring their implications in economic, operational, and public policy terms.
SDG
Eduard J. Álvarez-PalauHolder of a doctorate in Engineering and Transport Infrastructures (UPC), as well as qualifications as a Roads, Channels and Ports Engineer (UPC) and a master of Organization Management (UOC). He is an Associate Professor at the UOC’s Economics and Business Studies, the academic director of the university’s master programme in Logistics Management, and the principal investigator of the URBANLOG group. Previously, he served as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Cambridge, a fellow of the European Commission (DG MOVE), an associate professor at the UPC, and an external consultant for the UOC. He also possesses international experience in leading civil engineering projects, urban planning, and transportation management within the private sector.
Cristian CastilloDoctor of Business Administration and Management, holds a master degree in Industrial Organization Engineering and is a technical engineer in Industrial Electronics from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC). He is currently an adjunct professor in Economics and Business Studies at the UOC and the director of the degree in Business Administration and Management. He was also an associate professor at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia for one year. Before his teaching career, he gained twelve years of experience in the private sector, where he held various logistics management positions. He belongs to the URBANLOG research group, and his research interests focus on logistics and production operations of companies, as well as the organization of companies, specifically in terms of organizational change.
Oriol Yuguero TorresDoctor of Medicine from the University of Lérida, he holds a master degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and in Bioethics from the University of Barcelona. He is a family doctor and has always practised in emergency departments. Since 2023, he has been the head of the Emergency Department at Arnau de Vilanova University Hospital in Lérida. He is also a Professor of Bioethics at the University of Lérida and a researcher at IRBLLEIDA. From 2023, he has additionally served as coordinator of the UOC’s e-RLab research group. In this group, he leads projects on artificial intelligence, social urgency, and the well-being of healthcare professionals. His work combines assistance, teaching, and research, and his career is characterized by driving innovation in organizations and clinics, giving voice to patients and professionals, and promoting the quality of care and humanization of medicine.
