Objective  To evaluate variations in quality of life (QoL) after the implementation of Internet plus medical assistance among residents in rural poverty-stricken regions in Hainan province and to provide references for promoting QoL and poverty alleviation in the population.

  Methods  Using typical sampling at two poverty-stricken counties of Hainan province, we surveyed 281 permanent adult residents (16 – 85 years) in a village with one-year implementation of internet-based telemedicine involving doctors in a provincial-level hospital and medical workers in a village clinic and another 156 residents in a village without the telemedicine service as the controls during January 2019. Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) was used to evaluate QoL of the participants.

  Results  The participants in the village with the telemedicine service had significantly higher SF-36 domain scores for physiological function, emotional function and mental health compared to the participants in the control village (all P < 0.05) but no significant differences were observed in other SF-36 domain scores between the two participants groups (P > 0.05 for all). The results of multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that telemedicine service (β = 7.36), age (β = – 6.81) and alcohol consumption (β = – 6.04) were significant influencing factors for the participants′ QoL.

  Conclusion  The quality of life of rural adult residents in poverty-stricken regions of Hainan province is affected mainly by age, alcohol drinking and healthcare service and the implementation of Internet plus medical assistance can effectively improve the quality of life of the residents.