Nadine Elsahli

and 3 more

Background: In today’s digital era, the internet has become an integral part of our daily lives, serving as a fundamental tool for communication, social interaction, work, and accessing essential services. However, disparities in access to internet based on personal and social factors, defined as internet inequity, can significantly impact how people engage with healthcare. Understanding the disparities across regions and demographics is crucial to addressing inequities and improving healthcare accessibility. Objective: This protocol aims to outline the methodology for a systematic review examining the impact of internet inequity on access and utilization of healthcare services. Methods: Databases including Medline, Web of Science, Embase, IEEE Xplore, and CINAHL, will be searched for peer-reviewed articles published between 2014 and 2024. To be included in this review, studies must examine internet inequity and its association with access and utilization of at least one healthcare service. Studies employing qualitative methodologies (e.g., examining barriers and perceptions) or those where healthcare services access and/or utilization was treated as the predictor rather than the outcome will be excluded. Data will be extracted and analyzed by two independent reviewers to identify patterns and quantify the impact of internet inequity. Quality assessment of included studies will be performed utilizing Hawker’s checklist for disparate study designs. Conclusions: This protocol details a systematic approach to analyzing disparities in internet access and their effects on healthcare services access and utilization. The results of this review will fill existing gaps in the literature and offer evidence-based recommendations to guide future policies focused on enhancing healthcare services access and use on a global scale.