| Abstract [eng] |
The relevance of the topic is based on the rapid development of e-health services and their importance in ensuring the accessibility of healthcare. Although digital solutions create the prerequisites for more efficient service provision, user engagement in e-health services remains uneven. Different groups in society face unequal opportunities to use these services, therefore, digitalization can not only reduce, but also increase social inequality. The novelty of the work is associated with the application of intersectionality in analyzing inequalities in user engagement in e-health services. Unlike many studies that examine social factors separately, this work emphasizes their interaction. Intersectionality is applied not only as a theoretical approach, but also as a practical principle that allows assessing and forming equality-sensitive solutions in the field of e-health. The scientific problem is defined as a limited understanding of how the intersection of social factors affects user engagement in e-health services and how intersectionality principles can be applied in practice to reduce these inequalities. The object of the study is the inequalities of user engagement in e-health services from the perspective of intersectionality. The aim of the project is to reveal the possibilities of applying the intersectionality perspective in reducing inequalities of user engagement. To achieve the goal, the following tasks were formulated: to create a theoretical model of user engagement, to analyze legal regulation and good practices, and to empirically investigate the intersection of social factors determining engagement. The study applied literature analysis, synthesis and systematization methods, theoretical modeling, and document content analysis. The empirical study used triangulation of methods – quantitative survey and qualitative semi-structured interviews. The main results of the study showed that user engagement in e-health services is uneven and depends on the intersection of social factors. It was found that technical access does not in itself ensure real use, and engagement is determined by digital skills, social support, service design and system performance in practice. The study revealed that combinations of different social characteristics form digital positionality, which defines the real opportunities for users to use the system. It was also found that the e-health system can simultaneously increase accessibility and strengthen existing inequalities. The results confirmed the assumptions of the theoretical model that user engagement is shaped through the interaction of social, technological and institutional factors. The results can be applied to improve the design of e-health services, organize user support systems and shape public policy. The integration of intersectionality principles allows for the creation of more user-friendly, equality-sensitive services focused on the real opportunities of different social groups. The project structure consists of three main sections: theoretical, which analyzes the foundations of user engagement and intersectionality; analytical, aimed at legal regulation and good practices; and empirical, which presents the results of the study and their discussion. At the end of the work, conclusions and recommendations are presented. |
