As technology advances, there are more feasible options for care delivery. However, not all patients, have access to these technologies due to a lack of access to devices or internet. This creates barriers to care delivery to these populations, thus depriving them of resources. The COVID-19 pandemic showed us how a strong, resilient economy demands a healthy community. Therefore, addressing the need to provide patients with equal resources is more important than ever. In this article, let’s explore what health equity entails. How business and academia can converge to advance it, and the actionable steps to take to promote digital health equity.
What is Digital Health Equity?
Health equity can be defined as the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain reasonable health. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how pre-existing structural imbalances through race, ethnicity, and other socioeconomic characteristics perpetuate differential health consequences. The unbelievably high death counts show us the unequal distribution of resources and its impact on the affected patients.
While providing equal health resources to all may seem like a dream for now, we can still work to achieve equitable healthcare where everyone has control over their health outcomes. We should work on creating a system that rejects inequalities as the norm and works to achieve health equity. Advancements in health informatics, digital transformation, and learning healthcare systems allow us to work towards this goal.
A key strategy for enhancing health equity is to develop and use health technology that caters to the requirements of these populations.
Role of Business and academia in advancing digital health equity
There may never be a better opportunity to develop the policies and initiatives that will spark the widespread and systemic change required, and business and academia can play a key part in this process.
Every company may contribute significantly to advancing health equity through its staff, services, communities, and ecosystem. In addition to being necessary for economic growth, maximizing health outcomes is also a moral need of health equity.
Companies are starting to address health equity, but it’s also becoming clearer that customers, job seekers, and investors are more inclined to base their decisions on corporate social responsibility.
Health and information sciences converge to contribute to health information research. This can result in well-planned and well-supported clinical research projects. Exposure to health informatics can benefit researchers in training, forming research teams, and conducting studies in the fields of information, health, and other disciplines.
The best use of health informatics integrates ideas, objectives, and evidence-based medicine, ensuring that comprehension can be applied to patient treatment. The model can be used for a variety of health information applications, such as clinical decision support tools and best practices alerts. These are integrated into electronic health records to identify and manage patients most at risk for cardiovascular side effects. Additionally, cancer treatments, to examine how information and communication technologies, like telemedicine and mobile health, are adopted by the community.
Actionable steps to increase health equity
Knowing what steps companies and academics can take to promote health equity is important. By utilizing these practices, innovators can move towards a more equitable system:
Creating a Diverse Team.
Teams with a wide range of perspectives are more likely to provide services that are both innovative and accessible. This could mean altering the hiring process and recruitment and changing company policies to ensure a more diverse workforce.
Diversity in Product Development
Diversity and inclusivity is given priority at every stage of the product development lifecycle, from research, testing and execution. Researchers must consider various data representing all individuals seeking a diagnosis. To capture multi-systemic patterns that distinguish diseases or complex ailments, such as cancer and autoimmune disease.
Patient Involvement
Patients’ demands consider when co-developed items, ensuring they will be patient-centred. Businesses and innovators can better grasp the nuances of patients by listening to and collaborating with patients. This enables them to build their products with equity in mind.
Target Audience
Digital innovators will be better able to reach a broad patient population if they keep in mind their target market’s various media consumption inclinations. Additionally, considering and addressing issues like health literacy and language challenges, can ensure that education and instructions are inclusive to the entire patient community.
Cultural Context
When designing a product or service, considering the patient’s background improves their experience and the product’s effectiveness. Even though many digital technologies offer several language options, failure to consider cultural context still prevents widespread use. To ensure that patients can complete annual wellness exams, receive urgent care, and meet their social requirements. By being connected to other patients, and manage chronic diseases, linguistic, cultural, and educational obstacles must be reduced.
Conclusion
The healthcare industry should move forward by recognizing the significant structural injustices before COVID and committing our organizations to eradicate or attenuate these biases. Through persistent action, continuous improvement, and planning, we can create a new and better future with equal access to resources for all individuals and a community where health equity is the norm.
