Pillars, Policies, And Plausible Pathways Linking Digital Inclusion And Health Equity

Digital inclusion is considered a super social determinant of health and rests on four pillars: available and affordable broadband service, quality devices, digital skills and training, and technical support for using accessible applications. Evidence suggests two pathways through which digital inclusion and health equity are connected. The direct pathway is through increasing access to health care services. This brief focuses on the indirect pathway, through which people can use the internet to address health-related social needs such as education and employment. To support digital inclusion and improve health equity, broad policy and structural reforms are needed to eliminate geographically based segregation by race and income and create conditions for people and communities to use the internet to thrive. The health sector can contribute through advocacy, outreach, digital health skill training, and data analytics.