Shared Guiding Principles for Digital Health Inclusion

The EDISON Alliance white paper outlines seven principles for digital health inclusion to ensure that the rapid digitalization of healthcare—accelerated by COVID-19—does not widen the gap between those with and without access to digital tools. The framework emphasizes inclusive design, trust, interoperability, gender equity, financial sustainability, data security, and proportional regulation to bridge health disparities and ensure healthcare as a fundamental human right.

• The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the global adoption of digital health technologies, including telemedicine, remote care, and the Internet of Medical Things, but simultaneously widened the gap for those lacking broadband connectivity, digital skills, or trust in digital solutions.
• Digital health inclusion requires a 'people centric' design approach that prioritizes the rights of all individuals regardless of gender, creed, or birthplace, with a specific focus on marginalized and underserved communities.
• Building trust in digital health depends on ethical product design, transparency, and improving digital literacy among vulnerable populations, while ensuring security is integrated into 'last-mile solutions'.
• Connected care should be enabled through open industry standards for interoperability and the use of a unique health identity (ID) to allow patients to maintain and access longitudinal health records across different geographies and care levels.
• There is a critical need to address gender equity in digital health, as women are often primary caregivers but are frequently excluded from the development and funding of health technology and the addressing of specific medical concerns for women and girls.
• Sustainable digital health solutions must balance commercial viability with societal value, minimize algorithmic bias in AI, and ensure that machine-learning tools augment rather than replace medical decision-making.
• Data governance for digital health must prioritize patient ownership, informed consent, and the right to opt out, while maintaining high standards for encryption and protection against cybersecurity threats.
• Regulatory frameworks for digital health should be technology-neutral, risk-based, and proportional, encouraging innovation and experimentation while balancing data ownership and intellectual property.

APA

World Economic Forum (2021). Shared Guiding Principles for Digital Health Inclusion. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Shared_Guiding_Principles_for_Digital_Health_Inclusion_2021.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Shared Guiding Principles for Digital Health Inclusion. 2021. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Shared_Guiding_Principles_for_Digital_Health_Inclusion_2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Shared Guiding Principles for Digital Health Inclusion |date=November 2021 |url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Shared_Guiding_Principles_for_Digital_Health_Inclusion_2021.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2021shared, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Shared Guiding Principles for Digital Health Inclusion}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2021}, month = nov, url = {https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Shared_Guiding_Principles_for_Digital_Health_Inclusion_2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }