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UNC Researcher and Sheps Fellow Contributes to New WHO Europe Report on Digital Health Equity

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Dr. Saif Khairat, a faculty member at UNC–Chapel Hill and a Research Fellow at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, contributed to a new World Health Organization (WHO) Europe report examining persistent gaps in digital health equity and opportunities to close them. The report highlights how individuals with greater health needs, limited digital literacy, or language barriers continue to face challenges accessing digital health services, and warns that uneven digital infrastructure risks widening disparities.

Dr. Khairat’s involvement reflects the Sheps Center’s ongoing commitment to evaluating health technologies and ensuring they work for diverse patient populations. His research on usability and workflow integration aligns closely with the report’s call for “equity‑by‑design” throughout digital health development and implementation.

The WHO review also cites work from the Center for Virtual Care Value and Excellence (ViVE), a project supported in part by Sheps. ViVE’s digital health suitability framework provides guidance on designing and assessing virtual care tools so they are effective, user-friendly, and feasible in real clinical settings—reinforcing the report’s emphasis on practical, patient‑centered digital innovation.

Together, this global analysis and the ViVE framework underscore a shared message: digital health solutions must be built intentionally to ensure they reach the people who need them most. The Sheps Center’s contributions—in research, evaluation, and thought leadership—continue to support that goal.

 

Read the WHO Europe report: https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/17-03-2026-digital-health-equity-gaps-remain–but-solutions-are-becoming-clearer–new-report-shows