Title

The healthcare information gap: A global and national perspective

Abstract

The development of computer technology has created an information gap that has grown faster and wider over recent years. As healthcare systems and providers rely more on information from the Internet to guide day-to-day care, the disparity between the information "haves and have nots" expands. Awareness of the disparity and its impact on healthcare is the first step in narrowing the information gap. Reasons for the gap are complex and multi-factorial, as are the solutions. In the United States, age, race, gender, education, domicile, and income influence the ability to access and sustain computer technology. Across the globe, technologically poor nations lack the infrastructure to support computer technology. For these countries, meeting basic needs, such as food, water, and shelter, takes priority. Once basic needs are met, a shift of focus to one that supports the use of computer technology can occur.

Department(s)

School of Nursing

Document Type

Article

Keywords

Digital divide, Information divide, Information gap, Information technology, World Wide Web

Publication Date

3-1-2005

Journal Title

Online Journal of Nursing Informatics

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