Why Digital Health Equity Is Everyone’s Business

Doctor taping on screen with healthcare and tech icons shows while using House Call The App software

Bridging the Digital Divide in Healthcare: Why Digital Health Equity Is Everyone’s Business

We’ve all seen the headlines: “AI will revolutionize medicine!” “Virtual care is the future!” “Wearables will replace your doctor!” 

Okay, maybe that last one is a stretch, but digital health is having a moment. And while the innovations are exciting (I’m a health-tech enthusiast, too), they come with a catch: they don’t work for everyone, especially not equally. 

Let’s talk about digital health equity, what it is, why it matters, and how we can actually get it right. 

Wait… What Is Digital Health Equity?

Great question. It’s means more than just assuming that having a Wi-Fi signal or owning a smartphone makes everything equal. 

Digital health equity means that everyone, regardless of income, race, age, language, or location, can access, use, and benefit from digital health tools. That means everything from telehealth appointments to AI-powered diagnostics to patient portals and remote monitoring. 

But let’s be real: if you can’t afford a smart watch, don’t speak the language the app is written in, or never got training on how to use the portal your provider keeps emailing you about, then none of that supposed access matters. 

So no, equity isn’t a “nice-to-have” in digital health, it’s the difference between tech that transforms and tech that alienates. 

The Digital Divide: Who’s Being Left Out?

Short answer: too many people. 

Longer answer: rural communities, older adults, lower-income households, people with disabilities, and racially and ethnically minoritized groups often face the biggest barriers. 

  • Nearly 22 million Americans still lack reliable broadband access.  
  • Older adults and low-income patients are less likely to use patient portals or video visits. 
  • A study published in JAMA showed that telehealth use decreased among Black and Hispanic populations since the emergency phase of COVID-19 ended—even as usage stayed high in more privileged groups (JAMA Network). 

Digital health has the potential to expand access, but not if it reinforces the very gaps we say we’re trying to close. 

What’s Getting in the Way of Digital Health Equity?

It’s not just about tech, it’s about trust, usability, and inclusion. Some of the biggest barriers include: 

  • Device and internet access: No tablet or home Wi-Fi? That video visit might be off the table. Talking about your personal health challenges at the public library is not exactly an appealing alternative and sometimes functionality is lost in the mobile version. 
  • Digital literacy: Knowing how to click a link doesn’t mean you know how to download a telehealth app, navigate a portal, upload results from your remote device or troubleshoot a frozen screen. 
  • Language and cultural fit: If your health app is only in English, doesn’t reflect your health beliefs, or uses medical jargon, then it’s not designed for everyone. 
  • Low trust environments: If your community has faced medical racism or digital surveillance, you might be justifiably cautious about uploading health data or other personal information to the cloud. 
  • Algorithmic bias: We’ve covered this in other posts, but it bears repeating, AI systems trained on non-diverse data can overlook or misdiagnose marginalized patients. 

When Healthcare Innovation Ignores Inclusion

Let’s be honest, tech doesn’t magically erase inequity. In fact, without intentional design, it can deepen it. 

Some real-world examples: 

  • Pulse oximeters may read inaccurately on darker skin tones, impacting oxygen monitoring for black and brown patients (NEJM, 2020). 
  • Symptom checkers often perform worse when used in non-English or lower-literacy settings. 
  • Wearables frequently fail to track biometric data in people with physical disabilities or neurodivergence. 

This isn’t about “bad tech.” It’s about tech designed without diverse input and implemented without considering structural barriers. 

So… What Would Equitable Digital Health Look Like?

Glad you asked. Because it’s not just about slapping a new app on an old system, it’s about reimagining the system itself, with equity at the core. 

Here’s what that could, and should, involve: 

  • Community-informed design: Build tech with communities, not just for them. That means including older adults, non-English speakers, disabled users, and low-income patients in the testing phase, not just after the launch. 
  • Smart policy and public investment: There’s real momentum here. Under the RFK-guided HHS, the 2024–2030 Federal Health IT Strategic Plan is doubling down on AI transparency, and public health modernization. They are focusing on interoperability, smartphone-first access, and algorithm accountability. 
  • Expanding treatment options for all: The reintroduction of the Access to Prescription Digital Therapeutics (PDT) Act in 2025 means Medicare and Medicaid may soon cover evidence-based digital treatments. That could be a game-changer for patients managing mental health, chronic disease, and addiction, especially those in provider-scarce areas. 
  • Modernizing the digital infrastructure: Through the Health Technology Ecosystem RFI (May 2025), HHS is actively soliciting public feedback on how to make digital tools more usable, more interoperable, and more patient-centered. Translation: they’re listening (finally!) to real people about what’s not working. 
  • Clearing red tape (but wisely): HHS is identifying outdated regulations that are holding back meaningful tech innovation, without compromising safety. It’s a delicate but necessary balance, hopefully. 
  • Enforcing access rules that already exist: A renewed push around information blocking enforcement means health systems and tech vendors will be under pressure to actually follow through on making electronic health information accessible and shareable, for patients and providers alike. 

So, yeah, this isn’t just aspirational, some of it’s already happening. But whether this results in real equity depends on who’s at the table, how we measure success, and whether we build the tech to serve the margins first, not last. 

What Can You Do as a Provider or Patient? (Spoiler: A Lot)

This isn’t just a “tech people” problem. Everyone has a role. 

If you’re a clinician: 

  • Ask your patients about digital access and literacy, just like you’d ask about housing or food insecurity. 
  • Advocate for patient-friendly tools that work on low-bandwidth, mobile-first formats. 

If you’re a health system or payer: 

  • Build feedback loops into your tech rollouts. There has to be a way for the patients to tell you if somethings not working. 
  • Invest in digital navigators and multilingual support. 
  • Hold your vendors accountable for equitable design. 

If you’re in policy or public health: 

  • Push for metrics and funding that prioritize underserved populations. 
  • Consider broadband access, tech reimbursement, and local workforce development part of your health strategy. 

And if you’re a patient or caregiver: 

  • Speak up when tools aren’t working for you. 
  • Ask your provider for alternatives or help with access. 
  • Share your experience, there’s power in your story. 

Final Thoughts: In Digital Health, Inclusion Isn’t an Add-On. It’s the Engine.

Digital health equity isn’t just about gadgets and apps. It’s about designing a system that sees people first—their realities, their limitations, their strengths. 

Let’s be bold enough to build tools that work for everyone, not just the already-connected. That means starting with communities at the margins and designing upward from there. 

Because when we get digital health equity right, we don’t just modernize medicine, we humanize it.