Research on the Digital Divide and Outpatient Appointment Barriers Among the Elderly

Abstract

With the continuous deepening of population aging and the rapid advancement of digital healthcare in China, most fair and transparent outpatient registration quotas are allocated via mobile applications, leaving very limited on-site registration quotas for older people. However, the existence of the digital divide exposes older people to numerous barriers in the process of outpatient appointment registration, seriously undermining their medical convenience and sense of access. Adopting a combination of literature research and logical analysis, this paper systematically sorts out the specific manifestations of older people’s digital divide and outpatient appointment barriers, deeply analyzes multiple causes of such barriers, and proposes targeted solutions combined with current practices of age-friendly medical construction. It aims to provide theoretical reference and practical lessons for bridging the older people’s digital divide, optimizing outpatient appointment services, safeguarding older people’s medical rights and interests, and facilitating the realization of healthy aging.