The research, published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, highlights the importance of access to devices, digital skills, and inclusive design to ensure that healthcare digitalization does not widen social gaps. The study, with participation from the Research Group on Innovation, Health Economics, and Digital Transformation (INEDIT), features Meritxell Davins, Director of Transformation and Digital Health at Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, as the corresponding author.
The study addresses the complexity of digital health, going beyond individual factors like mobile phone ownership or internet access. It also considers aspects such as technology design, organizational integration capacity, data governance, and usage policies. To achieve this, an international consensus exercise on digital health determinants was replicated and adapted to the Catalan context, using a modified Delphi method with an initial 43 specialists.
The process identified 20 high-relevance determinants: 15 digital, 4 social, and 1 political. Key priorities include access to devices and connectivity, digital and health literacy, system interoperability, inclusive design, data privacy and security, and responsible use of artificial intelligence. Three additional factors are considered particularly relevant for Catalonia: health literacy, urban or rural environment, and personalization of digital tools.
Meritxell Davins points out that this approach can help translate international digital health agendas into regional planning, identify structural risks, and incorporate equity into strategy. Mireia Cano, the study's lead author, adds that digital transformation must go beyond deploying tools, ensuring people can use them safely and effectively.
The work underscores the interrelation between digital, social, economic, and political factors, proposing a coordinated response with areas such as social services, education, and telecommunications. The findings were presented by Mireia Cano at the 19th European Public Health Conference in Bilbao.
