Social Determinant of Health Digital Inclusion: Connectivity.
Position and Rationale.
I believe that digital inclusion and broadband access should be considered as a social determinant of health. The health sector in the modern world needs a wide scope of services that can be accessed online and make use of digital technology. Without access to a good internet connection, some people and populations cannot receive the healthcare services to their full potential. This is a cause of inequality, like other determinants (income, education, and living conditions). Availability of the internet has also turned out to be a question of determining how people receive care, and ease of care is a significant predictor of care outcomes.
Facts in support of the side.
To exemplify, individuals in developing rural or low-income regions do not have consistent Internet access or cannot afford modern devices such as a computer or a smartphone. This makes it hard for them to check the internet to get health information or consult. A patient with a long-term condition (e.g., hypertension) will fail with them, as they will not feel a connection to the telehealth services. This means that they can deteriorate. In fact, people who have put their trust in the internet can now easily communicate with the medical practitioners and manage their health too. This indicates that data unavailability can have adverse effects in the health sector (Saifan et al., 2026).
Digital Health Technology impacts.
According to Zhang and Saltman (2022), Electronic health records (EHRs), mobile health (mHealth), patient portals, and telemedicine are all what they need in terms of being digital. EHRs facilitate more scientific care because they allow healthcare personnel to record and access information about patients. The patient portal will allow the patient to get his/her test results and also communicate with his/her health practitioners. The patients cannot utilize these systems due to either a lack of computer skills or a nonexistent connection to the internet. Application: Another form of technology used, which enables patient monitoring of their disease and receiving reminders, is mobile health apps; and they must have access to the internet and smartphones. Telemedicine allows patients to access doctors without traveling, and costs are kept as low as possible, although not all patients can have broadband.
Correlation between Social Determinants and Digital Health.
The people are subjected to social determinants such as income, education, and location as determinants of the uptake of digital health technologies. Low-income earners might not have access to the internet and internet-related devices. Lack of education means that people might not be computer literate, and visiting the web-based health sites will be difficult. Rural locations can also have limited internet connectivity. The presence of these problems implies that online access integrates with other social determinants of health to a great extent (Cuadros et al., 2025).
Conclusion
Lastly, the digital inclusion and broadband access should be addressed in connection with social determinants of health. They affect access to health, the quality of health, and health care. It will improve access to the internet, thereby aiding in the reduction of health disparities and ensuring that more individuals utilize advanced technologies in health.
References
Cuadros, D. F., Kiragga, A., Tu, L., Awad, S., Bwanika, J. M., & Musuka, G. (2025). Unpacking social and digital determinants of health in Africa: a narrative review on challenges and opportunities. mHealth, 11, 41–41. https://doi.org/10.21037/mhealth-24-73
Saifan, A. R., Sawalha, M., Alarabyat, I. A., Alharbi, H. F., Saleh, Z., Alkouri, O., Shatnawi, R., Abujaber, D. A., Samarah, R. E., & Al-Yateem, N. (2026). Beyond Access: Telehealth Readiness, Trust, and Early Use Among Jordanian Patients with Chronic Illness. Healthcare, 14(9), 1118. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare14091118
Zhang, X., & Saltman, R. (2022). Impact of Electronic Health Record Interoperability on Telehealth Service Outcomes. JMIR Medical Informatics, 10(1), e31837. https://doi.org/10.2196/31837
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Post a description of your views on whether or not digital inclusion or broad band access should be added as a key area to the social determinants of health. Be specific and provide examples that support your position. Explain how electronic health records, mobile health, patient portals, or telemedicine can impact and be impacted by the social determinants of health. Support your explanation with the required or optional resources.