Digital Divide and Diabetes Management: A Scoping Review of Internet Access, Technology Literacy, and Health Outcomes in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

The aim of this scoping review is to understand how Internet availability, Internet adoption, digital literacy, and digital health services affect health outcomes in adults with Type 2 Diabetes. The review includes peer-reviewed articles published in English in the last 10 years. The inclusion criteria included studies exploring the relationship between Internet and digital access or literacy and diabetes outcomes. The search strategy included databases CINAHL, PubMed, and Scopus, resulting in 27 studies for final analysis. The results indicate a limited understanding how digital inequities affect diabetic health. Higher educational attainment and higher income positively impacts rates of Internet adoption. Older adults and rural inhabitants face disadvantages in managing diabetes due to poor Internet adoption and limited digital literacy. Many populations are willing and ready to use mHealth applications, independent of their ability to use the Internet. Internet and digital inequities can negatively impact knowledge and management of Type 2 diabetes due to barriers in accessing healthcare services, digital self-care management resources, and education published online. Evidence directly linking Internet adoption to diabetes prevalence in the United States was present in one study published in 2014. The direct effects of Internet availability, Internet adoption, and digital literacy on diabetes outcomes is underexamined. Current population-level data examining the relationships between these factors is warranted.