<P> The role of technology, specifically mobile phones in health care has also been explored in recent research as India has the second largest wireless communication base in the world, thus providing a potential window for mobile phones to serve in delivering health care . Specifically, in one 2014 study conducted by Sherwin DeSouza et al. in a rural village near Karnataka, India, it was found that participants in community who owned a mobile phone (87%) displayed a high interest rate (99%) in receiving healthcare information through this mode, with a greater preference for voice calls versus SMS (text) messages for the healthcare communication medium . Some specific examples of healthcare information that could be provided includes reminders about vaccinations and medications and general health awareness information . </P> <P> The distribution of healthcare providers varies for rural versus urban areas in North India . A 2007 study by Ayesha De Costa and Vinod Diwan, published in Health Policy, conducted in Madhya Pradesh, India examined the distribution of different types of healthcare providers across urban and rural Madhya Pradesh in terms of the differences in access to healthcare through number of providers present . The results indicated that in rural Madhya Pradesh, there was one physician per 7870 people, while there was one physician per 834 people in the urban areas of the region . In terms of other healthcare providers, the study found that of the qualified paramedical staff present in Madhya Pradesh, 71% performed work in the rural areas of the region . In addition, 90% of traditional birth attendants and unqualified healthcare providers in Madhya Pradesh worked in the rural communities . </P> <P> Studies have also investigated determinants of healthcare - seeking behavior (including socioeconomic status, education level, and gender), and how these contribute to overall access to healthcare accordingly . A 2016 study by Wameq Raza et al., published in BMC Health Services Research, specifically surveyed healthcare - seeking behaviors among people in rural Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, India . The findings of the study displayed some variation according to acute illnesses versus chronic illnesses . In general, it was found that as socioeconomic status increased, the probability of seeking healthcare increased . Educational level did not correlate to probability of healthcare - seeking behavior for acute illnesses, however, there was a positive correlation between educational level and chronic illnesses . This 2016 study also considered the social aspect of gender as a determinant for health - seeking behavior, finding that male children and adult men were more likely to receive treatment for acute ailments compared to their female counterparts in the areas of rural Bihar and Uttar Pradesh represented in the study . These inequalities in healthcare based on gender access contribute towards the differing mortality rates for boys versus girls, with the mortality rates greater for girls compared to boys, even before the age of five . </P> <P> Other previous studies have also delved into the influence of gender in terms of access to healthcare in rural areas, finding gender inequalities in access to healthcare . A 2002 study conducted by Aparna Pandey et al., published in the Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, analyzed care - seeking behaviors by families for girls versus boys, given similar sociodemographic characteristics in West Bengal, India . In general, the results exhibited clear gender differences such that boys received treatment from a healthcare facility if needed in 33% of the cases, while girls received treatment in 22% of the instances requiring care . Furthermore, surveys indicated that the greatest gender inequality in access to healthcare in India occurred in the provinces of Haryana, and Punjab . </P>

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