Closing the Digital Divide in Interventions for Substance Use Disorder.

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Health Equity
• Substance Use Disorders

Background:

• Digital health interventions show promise for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment.
• Existing social determinants of health (SDoH) can create digital inequities in SUD care.
• The digital divide and digital inequities pose risks to equitable SUD treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review digital divide and digital inequity concepts in SUD treatment.
• To explore the role of SDoH in driving digital inequities.
• To examine data and modeling biases in digital SUD tools.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of digital divide, digital inequities, and SDoH.
• Analysis of bias in data and modeling for digital SUD interventions.
• Discussion of solutions for equitable digital health in SUD.

Main Results:

• SDoH significantly influence digital access and literacy, exacerbating inequities.
• Algorithmic and measurement biases can disadvantage certain populations in digital SUD tools.
• Smartphone ownership, Wi-Fi access, and digital literacy are key factors.

Conclusions:

• Thoughtful design is essential to mitigate bias in digital SUD interventions.
• Bridging the digital divide is critical for equitable SUD treatment outcomes.
• Addressing SDoH and bias can create more inclusive digital health solutions for SUD.