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Digital Health Disparities: A Review of Barriers and Solutions for Racially Diverse Groups
Jennifer Teke1, David B Olawade2, Navami Leena3
1Department of Research and Innovation, Medway NHS Foundation Trust, Gillingham ME7 5NY, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; Faculty of Medicine, Health and Social Care, Canterbury Christ Church University, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
International Journal of Medical Informatics
|November 8, 2025
Summary
Racially diverse groups face significant barriers to digital health app adoption, including cost, literacy, and trust issues. Targeted strategies are needed to improve access and reduce health disparities.
Area of Science:
- Digital Health
- Health Equity
- Health Disparities
Background:
- Digital health applications offer convenient chronic disease management and wellness promotion.
- Racially diverse populations exhibit lower adoption and utilization rates of digital health tools, exacerbating healthcare disparities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review barriers to digital health app adoption among racially diverse groups.
- To explore strategies for enhancing engagement and ensuring equitable access to digital health technologies.
Main Methods:
- A narrative review of peer-reviewed articles from January 2010 to June 2024 was conducted.
- Literature search across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar.
- Codebook thematic analysis synthesized findings from 38 included studies.
Main Results:
- Multifaceted barriers significantly hinder digital health app adoption in racially diverse groups.
- Key barriers include socioeconomic constraints, limited digital literacy, cultural/linguistic mismatches, and data privacy concerns.
- Effective strategies involve culturally tailored apps, community-based training, transparent data practices, and community partnerships.
Conclusions:
- Socioeconomic factors, digital literacy, cultural relevance, and trust are critical barriers to digital health app adoption for diverse populations.
- Multidisciplinary interventions are essential for developing inclusive and accessible digital health solutions.
- Addressing these barriers can help reduce existing healthcare disparities.
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