Health Inequalities: From Clinical Care to Digital Democracy

Digital health has expanded rapidly across healthcare and public health, shaping how care is delivered, how populations are monitored, and how health systems respond to crises. Telehealth, artificial intelligence, remote monitoring, and digital public health platforms are now integral in many settings, including specialist and primary care, as well as rural and remote communities. However, unequal access to technology, infrastructure, and digital skills continues to determine who benefits from these innovations.Older adults, socioeconomically deprived populations, people living with disabilities, and rural residents often face compounded barriers to digital engagement. At the same time, digital tools are increasingly used for disaster preparedness, risk communication, and public participation, raising important questions about trust, governance, and inclusion. Understanding these dynamics is essential to ensure that digital health advances promote health equity rather than deepen existing disparities.The goal of this Research Topic is to critically examine how digital health technologies shape health inequalities across clinical practice, community care, public health systems, and population well-being. While digital innovation promises improved access, efficiency, and data-informed decision-making, it also risks widening disparities related to age, geography, socioeconomic status, disability, and digital literacy. This collection seeks to identify the conditions under which digital tools mitigate or exacerbate these inequalities.This Research Topic aims to advance understanding of equitable digital transformation by integrating evidence from specialist services, primary care, rural health, public health, and community engagement. It also seeks to explore the role of digital democracy and public participation in shaping public health responses, particularly during disasters and emergencies. By highlighting patient-centered, community-informed, and context-sensitive approaches, this collection aims to support clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and digital developers in designing digital health systems that are fair, trustworthy, and responsive to real-world needs.This Research Topic welcomes interdisciplinary contributions addressing the intersection of digital health, public health, and health inequalities.Relevant themes include, but are not limited to:• Digital access, literacy, and trust across diverse populations• Digital divides affecting older adults, deprived communities, and rural or isolated settings• Digital ophthalmology and specialist care pathways• Telehealth-supported house calls and hybrid care models• Digital democracy, community participation, and public health governance• Digital health in disaster preparedness and responseWe welcome original research, systematic and narrative reviews, qualitative and mixed-methods studies, policy analyses, implementation science studies, perspectives, and brief reports. Submissions should explicitly engage with equity, context, and patient or community experience, and may draw on clinical, public health, social science, or educational perspectives. Topic editors: Yu Jeat Chong, Makoto Kaneko Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/77529/health-inequalities-from-clinical-care-to-digital-democracy