Under-served groups’ perspectives on mitigating digital exclusion within healthcare in the North East of England

Digital Health Technologies (DHTs) can increase access to healthcare and improve patient outcomes, but underserved groups often experience barriers accessing these benefits. This qualitative study explored the perspectives of individuals from underserved groups on using DHTs within healthcare and what practical strategies could be implemented to mitigate digital exclusion. Participants described difficulties accessing healthcare when it was only available digitally, specific challenges relating to DHTs, issues accessing technical support, and concerns about DHTs’ ability to support all areas of healthcare. Participants recommended that healthcare providers offer support such as free devices, maintain non-digital access options, and that DHTs are co-designed to be user-friendly. They also called for both increased funding for and better promotion of community-based technical support services, and appropriate user guides. Future research should explore stakeholders’ perspectives on the feasibility of implementing these recommendations to develop a holistic understanding of how to effectively support digital health equity.