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BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article

Front. Digit. Health
Sec. Human Factors and Digital Health
Volume 6 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fdgth.2024.1468633

Accessing Medical Care in the Era of the Digital Revolution: Arguing the Case for the “Digitally Marginalised”

Provisionally accepted
  • Vector Control Research Centre (ICMR), Puducherry, India

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This article explores the intersection of healthcare accessibility and digitalisation from a rights perspective. Drawing from two illustrative cases presented to a filariasis management clinic in Puducherry, where the authors are affiliated, the article argues that despite the multiple benefits that digital health poses, there are individuals and sections of society that experience marginalisation in healthcare owing to digitalisation. Collating the data generated through the observations of the authors and the narratives of the patients, the article illustrates that such marginalisation can originate even from a relatively simple ICT adaptation like text messagebased appointments, inducing health inequities. The impact of such digital marginalisation disproportionately affects vulnerable sections like older adults and the rural population in an intersectional pattern where disadvantages compound to produce larger health inequities for the affected. The study advocates for bridging the digital divide through efforts including digital literacy-when possible-and alternative solutions like dedicated helpdesks, training healthcare staff and involving NGOs and voluntary organisations to ensure health equity for the digitally marginalised.

    Keywords: digital divide, digitalised health, older adults, health equity, Digital Literacy

    Received: 22 Jul 2024; Accepted: 30 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Choolayil, Paranthaman and Kuttiatt. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Anoop C. Choolayil, Vector Control Research Centre (ICMR), Puducherry, India
    Vijesh S. Kuttiatt, Vector Control Research Centre (ICMR), Puducherry, India

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.