Digital Divide in Healthcare

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The term digital divide refers to the disparity between people of different socioeconomic classes in their opportunity to access and their use of the internet. More comprehensively, it implies meaningful access to the internet. The term was first coined in the 1990’s, and was popularized by President Bill Clinton in 2000, when he called for development of a plan to make computers and the internet accessible to all Americans.

Introduction

Healthcare has also been affected by the digital divide. Medically underserved populations are those with diminished access to health care. They often experience delayed access to new health technologies as well as to health IT technology. In fact, many doctors and small clinics that are dedicated to treating the poor and minorities indicate that they are unlikely to meet President Obama’s goal of going digital within the next 5 years, in spite of the billions of dollars being spent to get electronic health records into hospitals and clinics. Some are concerned that a disproportionate share of the funding is going to top health care facilities, leaving those that care for the poor and minorities without the means to develop an IT infrastructure.

A recent study also showed that older, white, and wealthier Americans are the most likely to access their personal health records online. But the digital divide is no longer just about the cost of computers – it’s about tougher issues like health literacy, research and analytical skills, and resulting lack of empowerment. People from lower socioeconomic classes cannot make informed decisions about healthcare if they don’t understand the information. It is very difficult to understand the jargon and weed through the plethora of health web sites and their often-conflicting information for those who barely have a high school education, or who don’t have one at all; or for those who barely understand the English language.

In the fall of 2010, the federal government’s health czar, David Blumenthal, urged electronic health record vendors to market their products more to lower income and minority doctors. Several vendors are now offering loan and financing programs. The U.S. government has also provided for an additional nearly $300 million in funding for the purchase of electronic health record systems to hospitals and clinics that serve low-income patients. However, it's not only the government that bears responsibility to bridge the healthcare digital divide – corporations, educational institutions, and practitioners need to step up to improve access, affordability, understandability, and empowerment.


References

  1. http://faculty.washington.edu/krumme/internet/divide.html
  2. http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2011/January/11/health-digital-divide-cpi.aspx
  3. Li C, West-Strum D. Patient panel of underserved populations and adoption of electronic medical record systems by office-based physicians. Health Services Research 2010 Apr; 45(4):963-84.
  4. http://health.usnews.com/health-news/managing-your-healthcare/research/articles/2011/03/30/digital-divide-opens-up-in-patient-use-of-online-medical-records
  5. http://lseegert.wordpress.com/2011/08/03/healthcare-empowerment-and-the-digital-divide/


Submitted by Linda Gerace