Telemedicine in India: current state, challenges and opportunities

Purpose – The purpose of this conceptual paper is to present the scope of telemedicine, current state of telemedicine in India, challenges in its diffusion and suggest the way forward for implementation of such initiatives. Design/methodology/approach – This is a viewpoint paper that is prepared based on authors’ exposure and knowledge about research topic and the context. A number of appropriate and current citations have been utilised to illustrate current state on the topic as well as to support authors arguments presented in this paper. Findings – The discussion presented in this paper suggests that optimal utilisation of technology in healthcare delivery system requires overcoming barriers at multiple levels including policy, resources and socio-cultural levels. Successful implementation of telemedicine entails involvement of all the stakeholders, namely, the specialists, general duty doctors, paramedical personnel, technical staff, coordination staff, policymakers and, most importantly, the target community, from the design stage itself. Originality/value – The primary value of this paper lies in providing an overview of current state of telemedicine development in India. It is believed that this article will act as a precursor to future articles on this topic.