From Telemedicine to Artificial Intelligence: The Future of Digital Healthcare Delivery in Select Nigerian Teaching Hospitals

One of the greatest merits of telemedicine in recent times is the real-time delivery of laboratory-processed information about the COVID-19 infectious disease. These medical media innovations have transformed the field of healthcare delivery, making it possible for improved digital clinician practices. Additionally, the proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for healthcare purposes has speeded up digital media transformation for clinical practices, making futurists assumed the future of digital healthcare delivery that will be technologically driven with higher precision in both preventive and curative medicine. Situated within the technological determinism and diffusion of innovations theories, the study employed questionnaire and key informant interviews designed to incorporate cost effective, patient satisfaction, diagnostic precision and real time medical services delivery. The study sampled 65 respondents selected from Federal University, Wukari Teaching Hospital and Federal University of Lafia Teaching Hospital were stratified to include Doctors, patients and healthcare givers. The study found that despite numerous advantages of telemedicine and AI in healthcare delivery, the innovations are affected by erratic power supply, weak internet service and low digital literacy among patients and healthcare centres. The findings of the study identified addressing healthcare inequality and deficiency of medical staffers as perceived usefulness of the innovations within the teaching hospitals in Nigeria. The study concluded by describing telemedicine and AI for healthcare delivery in four key areas, including current state, challenges, opportunities and regulatory policy framework for implementations. This article recommends measures for sustaining medical digital media innovations within the health sector in Nigeria.