The digital health paradox
Does healthcare digitalization reduce or reinforce access inequalities in Morocco?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23882/emss26339Keywords:
Digital health, Health inequalities, Access to healthcare, Socioeconomic inequalities, Digital divideAbstract
This article analyzes the paradox of digital transformation in the healthcare system in Morocco, which aims to improve access to care while potentially reproducing or exacerbating existing inequalities. Based on a national survey (N = 1183) and a binary logit model estimated using the maximum likelihood method, the study highlights significant heterogeneity in the effects of digital health. The results show that the benefits of digitalization strongly depend on education level, income, age, place of residence, and health insurance coverage. They also reveal a cumulative effect of inequalities, where socio-economic disadvantages reinforce each other, particularly in rural areas and among older individuals. Finally, the study emphasizes that digital health, in the absence of supportive policies, may deepen both digital and healthcare divides. It concludes that reducing inequalities requires targeted policies addressing digital skills and the structural determinants of exclusion.
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