Autor(es): Thuesen, Annette A. ; Fersch, Barbara ; Snijder, Allette ; Annema, Janneke ; Vilaça, Teresa ; Carvalho, Graça S. ; Carrouel, Florence ; Darlington-Bernard, Adeline
Data: 2025
Identificador Persistente: https://hdl.handle.net/1822/98325
Origem: RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho
Our society is digitising at a rapid pace. We live in a digital world, where every aspect of our lives is heavily influenced by digitalisation. People use more and more digital devices and spend more and more of their time on the internet. Not only communication and social contacts between people are digitising; digitalisation also influences the way we work and learn, how we participate in politics and the economy and how we maintain our health. The COVID-19 pandemic a few years ago accelerated digitalisation but also clearly showed the challenges of this development as not everyone could board this digital train. It showed risks of inequality, less social cohesion and exclusion for many citizens. Older and vulnerable citizens, specifically in rural areas, have problems with the digitalisation of healthcare and welfare services, among others. This digital divide in the field of healthcare and wellbeing is still visible due to various reasons. Such as lack of access to technological hardware or not having the necessary digital competences. In this recommendation report we will focus on the digital inclusion of vulnerable citizens and on the ‘Rural eHealth Facilitators’ project we have been working on for three years. We are proud to present a wide range of new perspectives, insights and tools that will inspire many health and social care providers but also other professionals in the digital support of vulnerable and elderly citizens in rural areas.
