By: Noeka Nimmervoll, Staff Writer
An apple a day might keep the doctor away, but so do barriers to accessing them. Health-care services and personal health information are increasingly going online, which makes it important that services, like booking vaccinations and doctor appointments, stay accessible over the phone or in-person. Yes, digitalization of health-care is beneficial and makes some services more accessible for many. However, the health-care system should have various methods of access so that it wouldn’t leave several groups left behind — including some of the senior population and some Indigenous Peoples (especially those who live in rural areas).
These populations may face barriers when booking vaccination and doctor appointments, alongside other health services, due to a lack of digital literacy or access to quality internet and technology. Only a few years ago, a woman was directed to book a doctor’s appointment online instead of over the phone, which is what she used to do for her parents-in-law. This is a privacy issue because to book those appointments, she would have had to indirectly share her private records through the online portal. Already, the requirements to access the modern health-care system create a digital divide. Government programs that aim to bridge the digital divide gap are playing catch-up, causing vulnerable populations to experience further challenges in navigating the health-care system. The accessibility of the health-care system to all populations is crucial.
Technology is expensive, and digital literacy is hard to gain at the drop of a hat. Although accessible over the phone, most health-care assumes some digital competency for access. Important vaccination appointments are mostly booked through an emailing system, ordering prescription medicine with online forms is advertised, and some clinical appointments are increasingly booked via online portals, such as LifeLabs. To navigate these systems, individuals must have stable internet access, as well as adequate knowledge on how these systems work. Although the digitalization of health-care allows for more accessibility in certain cases — such as online doctor appointments that relieve the challenge of travelling for people with disabilities and allow for easy social distancing for immunocompromised individuals — it remains a problem that vulnerable groups has a barrier to access some kinds of health-care.
Although seniors are increasingly going online, some face issues with usability, such as the small font size on screens, and confidence in navigating technology. There are some digital skills programs partially funded by the government, such as one run by Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society and a few targeted programs implemented. However, there are still barriers to access for some marginalized individuals. To limit these issues from becoming barriers to accessing basic health-care, methods that don’t require technology should remain widely available. Having more staff to help labs and clinics with appointments bookings in-person or over the phone might help — including virtual medical support, who work remotely to support various tasks to streamline the workflow of medical settings. Moreover, creating easy-to-navigate apps and websites would lessen the level of digital literacy needed to access those services.
It is not only older people who face challenges in this digitalization — Indigenous people may experience unique challenges. Systemic inequality against Indigenous Peoples can contribute to unreliable internet access. 62% of Indigenous rural and remote communities, most significantly in northern BC, do not have stable internet access — some areas even lack basic cell service. Although the government has promised Wi-Fi by 2027 to every remote, underserved household through their Connecting Communities program, there is not enough support to uplift Indigenous individuals to make up for this major digital divide. Indigenous Peoples regularly experience lower quality health-care as it is, due to Canada’s violent colonialism and persistent discriminatory stereotypes of Indigenous Peoples. Senior Indigenous people face a combination of these Indigenous-specific problems and senior-specific issues, causing greater difficulties in their access to health-care.
Keeping health-care services available in-person and over-the-phone will prevent many vulnerable populations from losing access to essential services. The BC health-care system needs to serve and uplift the entire population, and that means making health-care accessible in various forms to fit the needs of everyone.
People with limited digital literacy or barriers to access basic technology deserve to be connected to the health-care they need.
