Open AccessTowards an equitable digital public health era: promoting equity through a health literacy perspective
Author(s) -
Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat,
Kristine Sørensen
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
european journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.056
H-Index - 91
eISSN - 1464-360X
pISSN - 1101-1262
DOI - 10.1093/eurpub/ckz166
Subject(s) - equity (law) , perspective (graphical) , health literacy , health equity , public health , literacy , political science , digital health , economic growth , public relations , medicine , public economics , economics , nursing , health care , computer science , law , artificial intelligence
Digital technologies shape the way in which individuals and health systems interact to promote health and treat illness. Their propensity to exacerbate inequalities is increasingly being highlighted as a concern for public health. Personal, contextual and technological factors all interact and determine uptake and consequent use of digital technologies for health. This article reviews evidence on the impact of digital technologies on health equity. Health literacy is presented as a lens through which to approach research and policy on access, uptake and use of digital technologies. In the short term, based on our review of published literature, we conclude that it is likely that digital technologies will increase health inequities associated with increased age, lower level of educational attainment and lower socio-economic status. Geographical inequity may increase as a result of poor infrastructure but may decrease if digital technologies can be effectively widely deployed to compensate for health workforce and health system deficiencies. Programmes to enhance health and digital literacy and monitoring of access, utilization and impact across all groups in society can help to ensure that digital technologies act to reduce rather than reproduce or exacerbate existent health inequalities.