The Digital Health Divide: Why Technology Is Creating New Engagement Challenges

Digital health technologies are expanding rapidly across Australia and New Zealand. Telehealth, electronic health records and patient portals are becoming central to how healthcare is delivered.

But alongside these advances, health organisations are confronting a growing challenge: not everyone can access or use digital health services equally.

For health leaders and policymakers, this “digital divide” is increasingly recognised as both a health equity issue and an engagement challenge.

Digital Health Is Expanding Rapidly

The rapid adoption of digital tools accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, when telehealth became essential to maintaining access to care.

In Australia, telehealth consultations increased dramatically during the pandemic and have remained an important component of care delivery since. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, telehealth services have continued to be used across general practice, specialist care and allied health settings.

At the same time, governments are investing heavily in digital health infrastructure.

Australia’s National Digital Health Strategy, led by the Australian Digital Health Agency, aims to expand digital access to health services, improve information sharing between providers and enable more coordinated care.

New Zealand has also prioritised digital health transformation as part of broader health system reform.

Access to Technology Is Not Equal

Despite these advances, access to digital health services remains uneven.

Some populations face significant barriers to using digital health technologies, including:

• people with limited digital literacy

• older adults

• people living in rural or remote communities

• culturally and linguistically diverse communities

• low-income households

Research from the Australian Digital Health Agency and other health policy organisations has highlighted the importance of ensuring digital health systems are accessible to all users, particularly those already experiencing health inequalities.

Without careful design, digital systems risk reinforcing the very disparities health systems are trying to reduce.

Engagement Is Critical to Inclusive Digital Health

Addressing these challenges requires more than technology solutions.

Health organisations must understand how patients and communities actually experience digital health services.

Community engagement can help organisations identify barriers such as:

• language accessibility

• usability of digital platforms

• cultural considerations

• trust in digital systems

• privacy concerns

These insights are difficult to capture through technical design processes alone.

Engagement with patients, carers and community organisations can help ensure digital systems are designed in ways that reflect real-world needs.

Designing Health Systems with Communities, Not Just for Them

Health systems across Australia and New Zealand are continuing to invest in digital transformation.

But many health leaders now recognise that successful digital health systems depend on both technology and trust.

Digital health tools must be usable, accessible and trusted by the people they are intended to serve.

That means engagement with communities is becoming an essential part of digital health planning — helping ensure new systems improve access to care rather than unintentionally creating new barriers.

Further Reading

• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare – Telehealth Use During The COVID-19 Pandemic
• Australian Digital Health Agency – Australia’s National Digital Health Strategy
• World Health Organization – Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020–2025
  https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240020924
• New Zealand Ministry of Health – Digital Health and Data Strategy