Digitally Disconnected: Qualitative Study of Patient Perspectives on the Digital Divide and Potential Solutions.

ABSTRACT:

Background

As telemedicine utilization increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, divergent usage patterns for video and audio-only telephone visits emerged. Older, low-income, minority, and non-English speaking Medicaid patients are at highest risk of experiencing technology access and digital literacy barriers. This raises concern for disparities in health care access and widening of the "digital divide," the separation of those with technological access and knowledge and those without. While studies demonstrate correlation between racial and socioeconomic demographics and technological access and ability, individual patients' perspectives of the divide and its impacts remain unclear.

Objective

We aimed to interview patients to understand their perspectives on (1) the definit

SUBMITTER: Alkureishi MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8675564 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature