{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,2]],"date-time":"2026-08-02T19:47:03Z","timestamp":1785700023997,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)","content-domain":{"domain":["lww.com","ovid.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Rural India faces critical shortages in both diagnostic and therapeutic radiological services, significantly impacting pediatric healthcare delivery, diagnostic accuracy, and cancer treatment outcomes.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The objective of this study was to evaluate clinical challenges faced by pediatric practitioners due to limited diagnostic radiology and radiotherapy support in rural India and identify evidence-based solutions.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Materials and Methods:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We conducted a comprehensive narrative review using PubMed, IndMed, Google Scholar, and oncology databases, analyzing English-language publications from 2010 to 2025. Search terms included \u201cpediatric radiology,\u201d \u201cpediatric radiotherapy,\u201d \u201crural healthcare India,\u201d and \u201cchildhood cancer.\u201d Government reports and National Cancer Grid documents were reviewed.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>India\u2019s radiologist-to-population ratio (1:100,000) and radiation oncologist ratio (1:250,000) fall critically below World Health Organization standards, with rural areas experiencing severe shortages. Diagnostic delays affect 68% of pediatric imaging cases, with misdiagnosis rates of 25%\u201342% for common conditions. Only 15%\u201320% of rural children with cancer have access to radiotherapy facilities within 100 km, contributing to treatment abandonment rates of 35%\u201345% versus 8%\u201312% in urban areas. Clinical examination achieves 60%\u201365% diagnostic accuracy for pneumonia versus 85%\u201390% with radiography. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) training enables 79%\u201389% diagnostic accuracy, while teleradiology demonstrates 85%\u201392% accuracy. Regional radiotherapy hubs reduce travel distance by 70% and abandonment rates by 60%.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Absent comprehensive radiological support significantly compromises pediatric care in rural India. Evidence-based solutions include POCUS training programs, teleradiology network expansion, regional radiotherapy hubs with spoke-and-hub models, teleoncology networks, and accommodation facilities near treatment centers. Coordinated implementation with policy reforms can substantially improve diagnostic capabilities, cancer survival rates, and child health outcomes in underserved regions.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.4103\/aam.aam_390_26","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,16]],"date-time":"2026-07-16T07:00:15Z","timestamp":1784185215000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/lww.0000000000001000","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Bridging the Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radiological Gap: Challenges and Solutions in Rural Pediatric Care across India"],"prefix":"10.4103","author":[{"given":"Muniba","family":"Alim","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences, Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shamila","family":"Alim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiation Oncology, Hanuman Prasad Poddar Cancer Hospital and Research Institute, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rafey Abdul","family":"Rahman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Paediatric Surgery, Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences, Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"276","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]]},"container-title":["Annals of African Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ovid.com\/10.4103\/aam.aam_390_26","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,2]],"date-time":"2026-08-02T18:56:55Z","timestamp":1785697015000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ovid.com\/10.4103\/aam.aam_390_26"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]]},"references-count":0,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4103\/aam.aam_390_26","relation":{},"ISSN":["1596-3519","0975-5764"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1596-3519","type":"print"},{"value":"0975-5764","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2026-04-06","name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-05-25","name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}]}}