Digital health interventions in chronic kidney disease: levelling the playing field?

Abstract

Digital health interventions (DHIs) have long been thought of as a convenient way to deliver aspects of healthcare and broaden access to services. For patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), DHIs designed to improve health literacy, self-efficacy and health-related behaviours such as physical activity, diet and adherence have been developed and are being tested, but their translation into clinical practice will be challenging. While DHIs potentially have broad reach, it is increasingly clear that patients from lower socio-economic and educational backgrounds, minority ethnic groups, elderly patients and those who face digital poverty are the least likely to access and benefit from DHIs, when they are precisely the patients who stand to gain the most. This article discusses the potential for DHIs to level the playing field for patients with CKD as well as the steps researchers, clinicians and developers should consider ensuring DHIs are developed, in collaboration with patients, to be inclusive and effective, as well as strategies that should be considered during development to support translation into practice.