Addressing (In)Equalities and (In)Equities in Digital Health Communication

Abstract

In this special issue of the European Journal of Health Communication, we feature three articles that collectively highlight the intricate relationship between digital health technologies and numerous forms of inequalities and inequities that persist within society. From cultural perspectives to public participation, considering access, competence and cognitive ability, the studies reveal the complexity of factors and elements that affect health in a digital context. Unfortunately, inequalities and inequities persist within societies despite the best efforts of and promises for digital health technologies. As these three articles suggest, the digital communication technologies themselves cannot solely be the solution to inequity. These studies remind health communication scholars of the importance of studying the processes of digital health communication itself, whether that be in clinician-patient communication or in communication about technology aimed at patients, and always in their actual contexts of use. Doing so requires academic attention to the unintended consequences of both technology design and use that may exacerbate inequity and reduce patients’ abilities to communicate about their health.