AUTHOR=Győrffy Zsuzsa , Döbrössy Bence , Radó Nóra , Boros Julianna , Békási Sándor 

TITLE=State of vulnerable populations in the techquity framework in Hungary

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1215325

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2023.1215325

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Digital health solutions could alleviate the needs of vulnerable populations in the recent period of the permacrisis, however, there are several barriers that limit their use for certain individuals. We use the four-pillar model of the novel concept of techquity to provide original evidence of the discrepancy in the willingness to try and the ability to harness healthtech in Hungary. We identified three underserved segments of society: older adults, people with long-term activity-limiting conditions, and people experiencing homelessness who could greatly benefit from digital technologies and yet use them less than the general population. We also discuss potential strategic considerations in order to promote techquity and digital inclusion among people living in vulnerable situations.Perhaps the biggest milestones of digitization in recent decades have been the emergence of the Internet and the spread of smartphones. In the late '90s, the Internet took off but its unlimited application in everyday situations was driven by smartphones. A similar trend can be seen in digital health: before the COVID-19 pandemic, many digital health solutions were already available, from robotic surgery to sensors, but the pandemic gave a boost to the adoption of digital technologies.