Problem Statement and Purpose
The healthcare situation in South Africa is characterized by a complicated array of difficulties, with notable differences in access to healthcare between urban and rural areas. Despite diligent endeavors to enhance healthcare services, a substantial disparity in the accessibility of top-notch healthcare services remains, particularly in remote and underdeveloped regions. The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) technology provides a promising opportunity to tackle these difficulties and improve e-health services in South Africa. This qualitative research study aims to examine the possible impact of AI on enhancing e-health in South Africa, focusing on the intersection of these urgent concerns. The primary objective of the research is to elucidate how artificial intelligence (AI) can be utilized to narrow the disparity in healthcare availability and enhance healthcare results throughout the nation.
Methodology
To explore this complex subject, the study utilized a qualitative methodology. This entailed a thorough examination and evaluation of preexisting literature, encompassing research findings, policy documents, and expert viewpoints.
Findings
AI has the potential to streamline administrative tasks in healthcare, freeing up time for patient care, and expand telemedicine to underserved areas, improving healthcare accessibility. However, challenges like data privacy and digital infrastructure constraints hinder its full potential.
Proposals
To address these issues, the research suggests implementing several efforts to overcome impediments and take use of the opportunities given by AI in the field of e-health. These initiatives encompass investing in digital infrastructure and connectivity, creating AI-powered healthcare solutions customized for the specific needs of South Africa, enforcing strong data protection measures, and promoting collaboration among healthcare and technology players.
References
Coleman, A., Herselman, M.E. and Potass, D., 2012. E-health readiness assessment for e-health framework for Africa: a case study of hospitals in South Africa. In Electronic Healthcare: 4th International Conference, eHealth 2011, Málaga, Spain, November 21-23, 2011, Revised Selected Papers 4 (pp. 162-169). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
Kovačić, M., Mutavdžija, M. and Buntak, K., 2022. E-Health application, implementation and challenges: A literature review. Business Systems Research: International journal of the Society for Advancing Innovation and Research in Economy, 13(1), pp.1-18.
Shaheen, M.Y., 2021. Applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare: A review. ScienceOpen Preprints.
