The Intersection of Health and Digital Literacy

Sep 5

When we think about health determinants, housing, income, and education often come to mind. But digital literacy, the ability to find, understand, and use information online, is one of the most critical factors in health outcomes.

Why Digital Literacy Matters for Health

Modern healthcare happens online: scheduling appointments, accessing telehealth, reviewing lab results, signing up for insurance, and finding reliable health information. Without digital skills or access to devices and broadband, these tasks become barriers to care. The consequences are serious from missed opportunities for preventive care, difficulty managing chronic conditions, and delayed or forgone treatment.

Digital literacy has become just as important as transportation or proximity to a doctor’s office, as it directly influences whether someone can live a healthy life.

The Research

A 2023 review published in PLOS Digital Health showed the essential importance of digital health literacy, defining it as the ability to find, understand, and use health information via technology, and as a determinant of health.

Findings showed that individuals with higher digital health literacy engage more actively in healthcare decisions, demonstrate stronger self-management skills, and report improved mental well-being and higher quality of life. Tools like the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS), available in multiple languages, help measure these skills and provide insight into where interventions are most needed.

Housing, Community, and Digital Health Access

Expanding broadband access, providing digital training, and building community support through awareness activities, leaders ensure health equity extends beyond four walls. Digital inequities impact families if residents can’t connect online, because they are cut off from essential resources like telehealth, vaccines, or benefits applications. This is where fundamental inequity becomes tangible for those outside of housing conversations.

Where decades of redlining have shaped neighborhoods, they also were late in coming online, and disparities deepened between the digitally literate and the illiterate. Digital redlining has gained traction as a term to describe how lines in development were drawn. Efforts to distribute access to the internet and expand digital literacy are foundational to those in housing looking to transform communities, whether developers or leaders.

Digital Divide and Its Impact

Vulnerable groups, older adults, low-income households, and individuals with limited formal education are disproportionately affected by the digital divide.. This “digital divide” widens existing health disparities. However, research highlights strategies that work. Education & Training, including MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), community workshops, and structured learning programs, can boost digital confidence. Social Support via peer networks and intergenerational learning, such as younger family members helping older adults, strengthens adoption and access.

These interventions, though still limited in number, represent crucial steps toward equitable digital health engagement.

DCH Commitment to Digital Literacy

Digital literacy is a powerful lever in the DCH mission. Equipping residents with digital skills makes them active participants in their healthcare, and access to digital resources ensures vulnerable groups aren’t excluded from healthcare advances. We are working towards healthier, more informed residents who can contribute to stronger and more resilient communities. Digital literacy is a critical social determinant of health, shaping outcomes like self-management, quality of life, and mental well-being.

DCH is committed to increasing access to computer lab, telehealth hubs, and programming that bridge this gap for underserved communities. Please join us in community, by donation, or by spreading our message.