Best Fall 2023 Article: the “digital divide” in healthcare

SHRIYA GARG – “High speed internet service is no longer a luxury – it’s a necessity.” This statement made after the White House Affordable Connectivity Program, which provided low-cost internet to eligible families, underscores the importance of technology and broadband access as we move through the 21st century. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, many service-oriented fields put an increasing emphasis on technology to increase efficiency, productivity, and reach. However, while the move to a digital platform may help overcome geographical barriers in healthcare access, for those without the necessary tools, this transition further isolates them from crucial medical care and personnel.

 The “Digital Divide” in healthcare has two separate facets: providing patients the technology at an affordable price and teaching patients digital literacy. With the “digital divide” becoming the newest social determinant of health, new efforts have been made to connect patients and the larger American population to broadband connectivity through initiatives like the Affordable Connectivity Program. This policy allowed patients with certain eligibility requirements such as having Medicaid, SNAP, WIC to get low-cost Wi-Fi and discounted technology.  However, the problem doesn’t just lie with internet service, but also with technological access and technology know-how. Although waivers for new devices or seminars on how to use tools may be provided, there is a clear deficit in educating the public on ways they can stay connected with the technologically-reliant healthcare we live in today. Whether this gap in technology know-how is the result of economic circumstances that prevent people from accessing information sessions or from having the device in the first place, lack of infrastructure to provide these opportunities for people, or community-wide fear of technology. 

Although the rise of telemedicine has put this “Digital Divide” at the forefront of experts’ minds, this problem is not a new one. Starting with the advent of online patient portals that patients use to access their medical information, the importance of adequate knowledge on the use of technology cannot be undermined. By relying on digital technology to relay information to patients, access to healthcare is not only affected by socioeconomic factors, but also generational and cultural differences. In their article regarding the Digital Divide in Healthcare, authors Dr. Lisa Fitzpatrick, Dr. Neal Sikka, and Karin Underwood promote curated healthcare to patients who may have limited digital literacy by providing support to the “less tech savvy.” 

With new developments in artificial intelligence and the continued use of digital tactics like telemedicine or patient portals, it is almost impossible for some patients to access their much needed medical care. Even though such innovations usually start with the promise of closing the gap, they tend to lose their zeal over time as financial access barriers remain hard to overcome. Thus, despite the importance that technological innovation has on furthering the fields of science and medicine, it is important to remain cognizant of the people who may be left behind as a result of these innovations. 

This is not to say that healthcare experts should move away from the use of digital tools, but rather that infrastructure to bridge the evident barriers should be put in place to ensure that such innovation has the full effect. Hopefully, by taking these next steps in providing support to underserved people in communities, telemedicine can continue by helping to reach those who cannot afford the hospitals and triaging those in need of urgent care. 

Copy Editor – Sameeka Prabath

Photography Source – https://www.chcf.org/publication/bridging-digital-health-divide-series/