Before the pandemic, most people visited their doctors in person. Then came COVID-19.
Digital health interventions (DHI), including forms of telehealth such as remote medical visits,
jumped in the U.S. by 154% in March 2020 when COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, compared with the same week in March 2019, according to the World Health Organization.
Like the pandemic, the mainstreaming of DHI spotlights longstanding health inequities that are exacerbated by digital exclusion, making tech solutions to improve access to care inaccessible for populations who need them. The evolution of DHI, including wearable devices, electronic health records, and remote patient monitoring, is reinforced by its benefits, which include improved quality of care and better patient engagement.
But not everyone has access to these advantages. And there is no standardized method to calculate how many are digitally excluded. However, it is generally thought that people affected by barriers to use and adoption such as technology access, incomes less than $30,000, issues with digital literacy and lack of broadband access may not be able to access the benefits of DHI, according to Pew Research Center research. Marginalized populations such as older adults, individuals with disabilities, individuals who live in rural areas, and non-English speaking individuals are also vulnerable.
“I have limited experience with digital or AI health tools, but I think they’re helpful for patient
engagement. Except seniors are left behind due to tech knowledge, or their geography and internet access. My mom lives in a rural area of Virginia where there is no broadband, and the closest hospital or doctor is 40 minutes,” said Devette Brabson, a Marylander who appreciates digital health but is familiar with access inequities.
Experts across sectors agree policymakers, developers, and healthcare systems must center
equity so everyone can benefit from digital health, with cultural competence playing an important role.
People who work in the sectors are exploring ways to improve access to DHI in ways that make sense for those communities. One easy way to help people with the transition is to slowly transform how they communicate with medical professionals, the experts say.
“Sometimes telehealth is the best option for individuals to talk to someone who can understand
their language and culture and who can help them with technology. For example, Dia de la Mujer Latina conceptualized the Telehealth Community Navigation Program and trained Promotores/Community Health Workers to go to houses and teach people to use the telehealth technology during COVID-19,” said Arturo Vargas Bustamante, a professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health in the Department of Health Policy Management and faculty research director at the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute.
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