Is it possible to promote a more sustainable lifestyle through the implementation of telemedicine services in rural areas? a qualitative study

The recent technological progresses in medical fields have brought to the development of telemedicine services that are now becoming the norm all around the world. The collaboration between environmental psychologists and healthcare professionals, who practice in rural areas, can bring to more efficient and comprehensive strategies to promote sustainable lifestyles and address health needs in changing climate. The aim of this paper is to investigate the role of rural areas providers on the adoption of telemedicine services inside their communities, understanding the relationship between practitioners, patients, and mountainous environment. To evaluate the role of healthcare professionals in rural areas qualitative structured interviews are being conducted among the 10 local health providers of two municipalities in the mountainous area of the Italian Dolomites. The structured interviews investigate: the current knowledge and use of telemedicine services, willingness to improve the service, expected acceptance and abilities of patients, technological knowledge, environmental benefits and constraints on the development and usage of the service. From preliminary data analysis, it emerges that providers who have more knowledge and experience in the use of telemedicine are keener to propose the service and expect their patients to use it. From further analysis, we expect to see the moderator role of technological knowledge and practical experience on the abilities of practitioners to detect environmental limits that might affect the practical application of the service and the type of patients expected abilities on the use of telemedicine. In conclusion, with this paper we aim to expand the present knowledge on the attitudes towards telemedicine of different rural areas health professionals and propose practical improvements of the service while keeping in mind the environmental characteristics of rural locations.