HEALTH TECHNOLOGY IN CLINICAL RESEARCH: HOW IT CAN REVOLUTIONISE, AND JEOPARDISE, COMMUNITY HEALTH

There’s no denying the benefits that progression in health technology brings

It can help people take better control of their own health and help healthcare providers work more efficiently and effectively.

But what happens when these benefits are only felt by some patient populations, while others face barriers in accessing any of the advantages health tech brings? In short, it causes health inequity that puts certain patient populations at a huge disadvantage.

Read the eBook to discover the issues preventing people from benefiting from health technology, and our recommendations for making sure that internet-based health developments are inclusive of all, not some.

Where does the problem begin?

Those who develop digital health innovations (DHIs) frequently aren’t considering 4 important barriers:

1

A lack of access to the internet

2

Limited trust in DHIs and healthcare

3

Low digital and health literacy

4

Lack of representation in data

By not considering these, DHIs are only accessible to and effective in resource-rich communities, widening health inequities

The answer?
Make health technologies more inclusive

One crucial ingredient is currently missing from the earliest stages of development and throughout the entire journey :

The patient voice

You can find our recommendations for facilitating more inclusive digital health innovations in our report.

These include:

Developing DHIs that have blended online-offline functionality

DHIs should be cost-effective for users

Training and tech support should be provided to users

Design DHIs with the end user in mind