Digital Health for Rural Development: Linking Health Informatics, Village Development, and Community Economy in Indonesia

Abstract

Rural Indonesians face longer travel to care, fewer health workers, and weaker digital infrastructure than urban residents, while villages now receive large fiscal transfers for local development. Health informatics could connect these conditions, yet its role in rural development and the community economy is rarely examined. This study aimed to synthesize evidence on how digital health in villages and primary care affects health outcomes, household finances, and the local economy in Indonesia. An integrative review of fourteen peer-reviewed studies published from 2021 to 2026 and appraised with the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was combined with secondary analysis of official data on connectivity, primary care staffing, stunting, village funds, and household health spending. Rural internet penetration trailed urban penetration by 8.18 percentage points, and about 2,000 villages lacked 4G coverage. Most community health centres without a doctor were in remote areas, and primary care information technology maturity was basic. Village fund allocations rose by 166.3% in real terms between 2015 and 2024 and financed thousands of integrated health posts. The synthesis indicates that telemedicine and digital growth monitoring are associated with better access for distant patients, but this evidence is weak to moderate and no study measured effects on household or village income. We propose a Digital Health–Rural Development–Community Economy framework in which village funds, connectivity, and primary care informatics are planned together, with five testable propositions and a village scorecard. Policymakers should treat village digital health as productive rural infrastructure that protects household income and strengthens local enterprises.