2024 | Sarah Wilson, Clare Tolley, Riona Mc Ardle, Lauren Lawson, Emily Beswick, Nehal Hassan, Robert Slight, Sarah Slight
This systematic review examines strategies to advance digital health equity, focusing on inclusive digital health approaches. The World Health Organization (WHO) advocates for Digital Health Technologies (DHTs) to improve population health, but concerns about inequitable outcomes persist. The review synthesizes qualitative studies to assess facilitators and barriers to implementing inclusive digital health strategies. After screening 10,401 articles, ten studies met the inclusion criteria. These studies were grouped into outreach programs and co-design approaches. Key themes identified include user-friendly designs, supportive infrastructure, and educational support. User-friendly designs involve making software and websites accessible across different devices and compatible with assistive technologies. Supportive infrastructure includes providing devices, free connectivity, and non-digital options. Educational support involves training to enhance digital literacy skills. Recommendations for advancing digital health equity include collaborative working and effective advertising to raise awareness of available support. Further research is needed to assess the feasibility and impact of these strategies in practice.This systematic review examines strategies to advance digital health equity, focusing on inclusive digital health approaches. The World Health Organization (WHO) advocates for Digital Health Technologies (DHTs) to improve population health, but concerns about inequitable outcomes persist. The review synthesizes qualitative studies to assess facilitators and barriers to implementing inclusive digital health strategies. After screening 10,401 articles, ten studies met the inclusion criteria. These studies were grouped into outreach programs and co-design approaches. Key themes identified include user-friendly designs, supportive infrastructure, and educational support. User-friendly designs involve making software and websites accessible across different devices and compatible with assistive technologies. Supportive infrastructure includes providing devices, free connectivity, and non-digital options. Educational support involves training to enhance digital literacy skills. Recommendations for advancing digital health equity include collaborative working and effective advertising to raise awareness of available support. Further research is needed to assess the feasibility and impact of these strategies in practice.