Empowering Health Management Technologies for Underserved Populations

Bridging the digital divide in healthcare.

Analyst perspective

In today's rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, the intersection of technology and health equity has become more critical than ever before.

As technology rapidly shapes the future of healthcare, the digital divide remains a significant challenge. While affluent communities and urban centers typically benefit from seamless access to digital health resources, rural populations are often left behind. Even in urban areas, many populations are impacted due to racial, ethnic, financial, and other socioeconomic barriers.

This inequity not only perpetuates health disparities but also hinders the potential of technology-driven population health management to reach its fullest impact.

To address the digital divide in population health management, a multifaceted approach is essential.

• Infrastructure investments are crucial to expanding broadband access in rural areas.
• Community health centers and clinics can serve as hubs for technology access, offering not only healthcare services but also digital literacy training.
• Collaborative efforts between public health agencies, tech companies, and local communities can yield culturally sensitive solutions that resonate with marginalized populations.

This research will enable your organization to:

1. Take steps toward supporting health equity.
2. Learn how technologies are being used to support population health management.
3. Explore the benefits and challenges associated with these technologies.
4. Discuss areas where further investment in technology could improve population health outcomes among underserved communities.

Executive summary

Your Challenge

Providing equitable access to all citizens. Several social, economic, and technology challenges include:

• Socioeconomic disparities
• Digital literacy
• Healthcare system fragmentation
• Cultural and language barriers

Bridging the digital divide. This necessity is underscored by the potential of digital health to improve healthcare efficiency and patient-centricity.

Common Obstacles

Barriers that contribute to the digital divide include socioeconomic factors, limited infrastructure investment in certain regions, and the lack of tailored and culturally sensitive digital health solutions for diverse communities.

Barriers can significantly impact adoption and effective use of digital solutions.

Addressing these barriers requires a multifaceted approach involving education, policy changes, and collaboration among stakeholders.

Info-Tech's Approach

Addressing digital literacy and building trust in digital health are crucial steps toward ensuring that the benefits of digital innovation are equitably distributed.

Implement the Info-Tech digital health access methodology that includes five pillars of digital health access and addresses the gaps in digital and telehealth equity through strategy.

Info-Tech's strategic methodology provides guidance to help ensure that digital health technologies are accessible, understandable, and reliable, paving the way for a more inclusive digital health ecosystem within the communities served by your organization.

Info-Tech Insight

The digital divide presents challenges in ensuring equitable access to digital health resources, impacting population health management and exacerbating existing healthcare disparities. Key issues include disparities in digital literacy and the lack of tailored and culturally sensitive digital solutions for diverse communities. Addressing this divide is crucial for ensuring that the benefits of digital health reach all population segments, particularly the underserved.

Challenges

Social and economic reasons for uneven access to digital health technologies:

Socioeconomic disparities: Individuals in lower income brackets often trail those having access to the necessary devices or services, such as smartphones or reliable internet, in utilizing digital health technologies effectively.

Digital literacy: There are varying levels of digital literacy across different population segments, with some individuals lacking the necessary skills to use digital health technologies effectively.

Infrastructure inequities: Rural and underserved areas often have inadequate digital infrastructure, such as poor broadband connectivity, which hampers access to digital health services.

Healthcare system fragmentation: The lack of standardized systems and interoperability issues can make it challenging for patients to access and share their health data across different providers or platforms.

Cultural and language barriers: Digital health tools may not be designed to accommodate the cultural diversity or language preferences of all users, limiting their accessibility and effectiveness for certain population groups.

By addressing these social, economic, and technology challenges and the barriers to their access, the healthcare industry can work toward more equitable healthcare delivery, ensuring that the benefits of digital health reach all segments of the population.

Digital health encompasses a range of technologies aimed at enhancing healthcare delivery

While digital health technologies have proliferated, access has not been uniform, creating a divide that mirrors and amplifies existing social and economic disparities.

The necessity to bridge the digital divide is underscored by the potential of digital health to improve healthcare efficiency and patient-centricity. Addressing this divide is crucial for ensuring that the benefits of digital health reach all population segments, particularly the underserved.

Common obstacles

Barriers contributing to the digital divide include socioeconomic factors, limited infrastructure investment in certain regions, and the lack of tailored and culturally sensitive digital health solutions for diverse communities.

Key factors impacting the adoption of digital solutions

• Infrastructure and technical barriers: Insufficient infrastructure (e.g. lack of reliable internet, outdated hardware) and technical challenges hinder digital health adoption.
• Psychological and personal issues: Resistance to change, difficulties understanding technology, and low digital literacy can impede adoption.
• Workload-related concerns: Fear of increased working hours or workload due to digital health implementation.
• Training and educational programs: Lack of proper training and education on using digital tools.
• Perception of technology effectiveness: Healthcare providers must perceive digital technologies as effective and beneficial.
• User-friendliness and accessibility: Complex interfaces and lack of user-friendly design can discourage adoption.
• Organizational support and workflow efficiency: Lack of support from healthcare organizations and inefficient workflows hinder adoption.
• Health literacy and digital literacy: Low health literacy and inadequate digital skills impact patient engagement.

Barriers can significantly impact the adoption and effective use of digital solutions. Addressing these barriers requires a multifaceted approach involving education, policy changes, and collaboration among stakeholders.

Through electronic systems and mobile apps, digital systems are becoming a part of healthcare worldwide

The swift adoption and uptake of telemedicine during the pandemic has thrust the concept of a digital divide into the spotlight.

The internet is nearing global access as the digital age progresses.

The gap between individuals with smartphones and those with internet access is narrowing, reflecting a significant leap toward global digital inclusivity. The global reach of smartphones has all the hallmarks of a success story. For many in developing countries, it's often the only way to connect to the internet and access valuable knowledge, resources, and trade opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach.

Connectivity does not equal digital literacy—education is needed.

This burgeoning digital connectivity does not automatically translate into effective utilization, especially within the context of digital health technologies. For underserved populations, the mere possession of digital tools does not equate to their meaningful use in healthcare.

Digital literacy emerges as a pivotal factor.

Basic technology skills and knowledge are required that many in underserved communities lack. This includes understanding how to navigate digital health platforms, interpret health data, and engage with healthcare providers online.

Trust plays a critical role in the adoption of digital health technologies.

Privacy concerns, skepticism about the accuracy and reliability of online health information, and apprehensions regarding data misuse all contribute to a hesitancy to embrace these technologies.

For example, while digital health records can streamline patient care, concerns about data breaches and confidentiality can deter individuals from using these services. This hinders the potential benefits of digitized healthcare.

Despite increasing prevalence of smartphones and internet connectivity, integration of technology will not be without its challenges

Barriers and challenges will inhibit the total acceptance of digital healthcare unless it is understandable, trusted, and equitably distributed for all.

Barriers extend beyond individual capabilities and perceptions.

Reliable and affordable access remains out of reach for many despite the increasing prevalence of smartphones and internet connectivity. This limits opportunities to leverage digital health advancements.

Economic constraints also play a role, with cost being a significant barrier to accessing the necessary technology and internet services. That said, worldwide trends in infrastructure development and broadband connectivity are encouraging.

Addressing digital literacy and building trust in digital health are crucial steps toward

ensuring that the benefits of digital innovation are equitably distributed for all.

Ensuring that digital health technologies are accessible, understandable, and reliable can pave the way for a more inclusive digital health ecosystem. This will empower all individuals, regardless of their socioeconomic status or geographical location.

While the digital divide may be shrinking in terms of device ownership and internet access, significant challenges remain in harnessing the full potential of digital health technologies for underserved populations.

Internet use is on the rise

Internet use by country (percentage of population)	Internet penetration rate worldwide trend
Nearly 100% of US, Canadian, UK, and Australian populations are online. Sources: ITU, 2024; World Population Review, 2024; Statista, 2023

Smartphone use worldwide has been steadily increasing

Smartphone use by country (percentage of population)	Smartphone penetration rate worldwide trend
More than 80% of the US, UK, and Australian populations and nearly 100% of the Canadian population use a smartphone. Sources: Statista, 2024; GSMA, 2023; Statista, 2023; Statista, 2021; 1 In 2018, 86% of the more than 70 million Americans on Medicaid owned a smartphone.

Mobile broadband connections are nearing 100% worldwide

Mobile broadband connections by country (percentage of population)	Mobile broadband connection rate worldwide trend
	NOTE: Mobile broadband connections include cellular connections with a download speed of at least 256 kbit/s (without satellite or fixed-wireless connections). Fixed (wired) broadband connections are <20% worldwide. This demonstrates significantly broader use of mobile technologies.
Mobile broadband connections exceed 100% of US, UK, and Australian populations and nearly 90% of the Canadian population. Sources: ITU, 2024; Statista, 2023; United Nations, 2022