Contributors
Delante Clark
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Daniel Stephens
Keywords
Digital Divide, Health Equity, Telehealth, Broadband Infrastructure, Digital Literacy, Public Policy, Underserved Communities, Biomedical Access
Abstract
This paper explores the intersection of digital inequity and biomedical healthcare access in the United States, positioning the digital divide as a structural determinant of health. As telehealth and digital platforms become central to care delivery, communities lacking broadband infrastructure, digital literacy, and affordable internet access face compounded barriers to equitable healthcare. The study introduces five critical dimensions—access, availability, adequacy, acceptability, and affordability—as a framework for addressing these disparities. It proposes the Rhizomatic Digital Ecosystem Framework to guide national and local interventions, emphasizing the need for public investment in broadband expansion, digital education, and affordability programs. By treating digital access as a clinical necessity and embedding equity into policy design, the paper offers a roadmap for ensuring biomedical innovation reaches all communities. Ultimately, digital health equity must be legislated and institutionalized across multiple levels of governance and treated as a public health priority.
Date Added
2025
STARS Citation
Turner, Brooke E. and Colon Alamo, Emmy L., "Bridging the Digital Divide in Biomedical Healthcare: Policy Solutions for Equity in Access, Literacy, and Infrastructure" (2025). Undergraduate Scholarship and Creative Works. 7.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/undergradscholar/7
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