ReviewDigital health
What do we talk about when we talk about digital determinants of health? - A systematic review.
Review in Digital health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objectives: Digital determinants of health (DDoH) are a recently articulated category of health determinants. While research on digitalisation and health has grown rapidly, DDoH remain relatively understudied as a distinct concept. Understanding how DDoH are defined, which components are recognised, and how they relate to other determinants of health (e.g., social, political, and commercial) is essential for guiding research, informing public health interventions, supporting education, influencing policy, and promoting health equity. This study aimed to examine how academic publications define DDoH, which components are identified, and how relationships with other determinants of health are characterised. Methods: We conducted a systematic review following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Scopus, PubMed, and EBSCOhost were searched for publications up to 2 September, 2025, using predefined keywords related to DDoH. Reference lists and targeted Google Scholar searches were also screened. Extracted data were analysed thematically and organised into themes and overarching domains. Results: Of 225 records identified, 65 met inclusion criteria. A definition of DDoH was provided in 28 publications, and 79 distinct DDoH components were identified in 63 publications. Relationships between DDoH and other determinants of health were discussed in 28 publications. No consensus exists on the definition of DDoH or whether they are a subset of social determinants of health or a standalone category. Approximately one-third of identified DDoH involved internet access, access to digital technology, or digital health literacy; the remaining components were fragmented and less frequently reported. Conclusion: This review provides a comprehensive overview of DDoH, including their definitions, components, and interconnections with other determinants. The findings clarify how DDoH are conceptualised in current literature and highlight challenges in developing a coherent, unified framework for their study.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.