How Research can Guide efforts to Close the Digital Divide

The digital divide in healthcare -- the gap between populations who have access to digital health tools and the digital health literacy to use them and those who do not -- is a trenchant barrier to telehealth adoption. It is well-known that digital divide challenges typically affect underserved and minority populations, making it more difficult for those groups to access telehealth. However, it is those groups that stand to benefit the most from telehealth access. Thus, health systems must close the digital divide to advance health equity.The first step in addressing the digital divide is to identify and understand the challenges vulnerable populations face regarding digital health technology.