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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.
Background:
Digital health applications have transformed healthcare delivery by offering convenient, cost-effective means of managing chronic diseases and promoting wellness. However, racially diverse groups experience substantially lower adoption and utilisation rates compared to majority populations, revealing underlying challenges that perpetuate healthcare disparities.
Objective:
This narrative review examined barriers affecting adoption and utilisation of digital health apps among racially diverse groups and explored evidence-based strategies to improve engagement and ensure equitable access.
Method:
A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for peer-reviewed articles published between January 2010 and June 2024. Studies examining digital health app usage among racially diverse populations that discussed barriers, facilitators, or strategies for improving adoption were included. Codebook thematic analysis was employed to synthesise findings and identify recurring patterns across 38 included studies.
Results:
Analysis of 38 studies revealed that digital health app adoption among racially diverse groups is significantly hindered by multifaceted barriers. Socioeconomic constraints, limited digital literacy, cultural and linguistic mismatches, and trust concerns regarding data privacy were the most common barriers. Evidence-based strategies include developing culturally tailored applications, implementing community-based digital literacy training programmes, establishing transparent data privacy practices, and fostering collaborations with trusted community organisations.
Conclusion:
Four key barrier categories: socioeconomic constraints, digital literacy limitations, cultural and linguistic mismatches, and trust concerns significantly impede digital health app adoption among racially diverse groups. Addressing these requires targeted, multidisciplinary interventions involving app developers, healthcare providers, and policymakers to ensure digital health applications are inclusive and accessible, ultimately reducing healthcare disparities.
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