Digital Rehabilitation for All: Bridging the Equity Gap through Health Systems Strengthening

The global rehabilitation gap represents a critical failure of public health systems. As the burden of non-communicable diseases and injuries rises, over half the population in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) lacks access to essential rehabilitation services, perpetuating cycles of disability, poverty, and social exclusion. Digital health interventions (DHIs) are no longer just technological innovations; they are emerging as essential tools for public health. However, their integration into LMIC health systems remains fragmented. A siloed, technology-first approach risks widening existing inequities. This Research Topic reframes digital rehabilitation as a health systems and population health challenge. It calls for evidence on how to strategically integrate digital tools - from tele-rehabilitation to AI-powered decision support - into public health frameworks to ensure they are not just available, but accessible, equitable, and sustainable for the populations that need them most.The goal of this Research Topic is to advance the science and practice of digital rehabilitation as a public health intervention, moving beyond feasibility studies to focus on population-level impact, health equity, and sustainable integration within LMIC health systems.We seek contributions that examine digital rehabilitation through a public health lens, addressing critical questions of scale, equity, and system strengthening. This includes research on:• Health Systems Integration: Studies on the policy, governance, financing, and workforce requirements for embedding digital rehabilitation into national health systems and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) packages.• Equity and Access: Evaluations of interventions designed to reach underserved populations (rural, low-income, displaced persons), and analyses of the digital divide as a social determinant of health in rehabilitation.• Implementation and Scale: Implementation science research that identifies barriers and facilitators to large-scale adoption, sustainability, and task-shifting within community health worker programs.• Population Health Impact: Studies using epidemiological or health economic data to demonstrate the impact of digital rehabilitation on population-level outcomes, health system efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.• Ethical Frameworks and Policy: Critical analyses of data governance, privacy, and ethical frameworks needed to ensure these technologies do not exacerbate existing health disparities.Suitable themes for manuscripts include, but are not limited to:• Health Systems Integration and Universal Health Coverage• Equity, the Digital Divide, and Reaching the Underserved• Implementation Science and Scalability• Population Health Impact and Health Economics• Community-Based and Decentralized Models• Intersection with Non-Communicable Diseases, Aging, and Disability• Digital Rehabilitation in Humanitarian and Fragile Settings Topic editors: Bruno Bonnechère, Oyene Kossi, Dheeraj Lamba Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/80320/digital-rehabilitation-for-all-bridging-the-equity-gap-through-health-systems-strengthening