Bridging the Gap: How Hospitals Can Better Use Digital Health Tools

In China, hospitals are starting to see how digital health tools can help patients. But there's a problem. Not all patients are on the same page when it comes to using these tools. Some know about them, some want to use them, and some are already using them. This is what experts call the digital divide. It's like a gap between those who can easily use technology and those who can't. Hospitals are a good place to study this. Patients often start as outpatients, then become inpatients, and finally go home for rehabilitation. At each step, they might need different digital health services. But not everyone is aware of these services or knows how to use them. This is why researchers decided to focus on inpatients. They wanted to see how interested these patients are in digital health tools. The big question is: how can hospitals help bridge this gap? Maybe by teaching patients more about these tools. Or by making the tools easier to use. It's not just about having the technology. It's about making sure everyone can use it.