Opinion: Equitable access to digital health innovations requires a systems thinking approach

The digital health revolution presents a golden opportunity for biopharma to reset access and outcomes goals based on health equity.

Over the last decade, the dawn of digital health has accelerated biopharmaceutical innovation, the pace of which has only quickened since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet within this tech-enabled health ecosystem, a glaring inequity exists in access to digital health tools. Technology applications of the biopharmaceutical industry, including sensors, wearables, and digital therapeutics, are largely inaccessible to disadvantaged segments of the population who stand to benefit from these tools the most.

While biopharma companies are increasingly relying on digital technologies to accelerate discovery, optimize clinical operations, and enhance real-world patient engagement, their adoption and access among the general population remains inequitable. These companies must play a leading role in reducing these inequities so more people can access the digital tools designed to better their health. How? By ensuring collaboration among stakeholders across sectors at various levels to address these barriers holistically.

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