The Health Literacy Divide: Healthcare Digitization Opportunities and Challenges

The Health Literacy Divide: Healthcare Digitization Opportunities and Challenges

Monifa Vaughn-Cooke, PhD

MedStar Health National Center

Advancements in computing and digital health infrastructure have paved the way for revolutionary advances in the delivery of healthcare. However, patient barriers (health literacy, technological competence, healthcare access) may limit the ability to fully take advantage of these new technologies, further exacerbating gaps in health equity. This session will explore considerations for the design of a patient-centered digital health infrastructure, and strategies to support effective patient-facing technology implementation among healthcare providers.

• Explore the breadth of current health information and digital health technologies to facilitate and enhance patient care.
• Understand the heterogeneous characteristics of the patient population that directly impacts technology interaction.
• Provide practical solutions for digital tool customization and evaluation of effective technological interventions.
• Discuss future directions in digital health infrastructure innovation and its impact on the patient and provider populations.