Today the health care industry is rapidly changing because of the necessity to adapt to the modern lifestyle and scientific progress. Technical advancements made possible health apps, physician portals, text reminders, as well as information and communication technology (ICT) (Gonzales 2017). Certainly, technology changed the approach to health care delivery forever, but it is still unclear if this influence is mainly advantageous or leading to inequality.
The use of technologies has proven to be a way to economize significantly. Tremendous savings can be found in more effective identification and channeling of resources to high-risk patients, health care delivery in lower-cost settings, and prevention of medical errors (The Impact). According to Burmeister et al. (2019:1), “telehealth can reduce socio-economic costs by reducing traveling for face-to-face visits”. This seems to signify the facilitation of health care delivery for people with limited funds or living in areas remote from health care centers. Health information can be brought directly into homes, workplaces, schools, and other locations throughout a community (The Impact).
However, Gonzales (2017) states that people can benefit from these improvements only if they have reliable access to modern technologies. Therefore, those not possessing stable Internet connection because of living in poverty fail to receive full-fledged treatment. According to World Health Organization (2018), health inequities are differences in the distribution of health resources between different population groups, which are observed worldwide. Because today’s health resources are closely connected to the Internet, the absence of access to technologies may aggravate health inequities.
The findings can be regarded from three major theoretical perspectives of sociology. The symbolic interactionist perspective pays considerable attention to the face-to-face verbal conversation as an interaction of symbols between individuals (Three Major 2020). That means that virtual conversation, especially with a poor Internet connection, can hinder this process. The conflict perspective highlights social and economic conflicts that always exist between the rich and the poor (Three Major 2020). These conflicts may be detected in unequal access to medicine in different regions and between people with different incomes. Finally, the functionalist perspective, which underlines the interdependence of all aspects of society, may propose a solution to the current problem. If the government takes measures to provide people with stable access to modern technologies, everyone will enjoy the benefits of telehealth.
References
Burmeister, Oliver, David Ritchie, Alison Devitt, Eevon Chia, Gregory Dresser, and Russel Roberts. 2019. “The Impact of Telehealth Technology on User Perception of Wellbeing and Social Functioning, and the Implications for Service Providers.” Australasian Journal of Information System 23:1-18.
Gonzales, Amy. “Is Digital Technology Making Health Inequality Worse?” 2017. Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science. Web.
“Health Inequities and Their Causes.” 2018. World Health Organization. Web.
“The Impact of Information Technology and the Internet on Healthcare Cost, Quality, and Access.” Wye River Group. Web.
“Three Major Perspectives in Sociology.” 2020. Cliffs Notes. Web.