This past winter, one of us, Alister, was speaking with the daughter of an elderly patient at a community health center in Boston. Her mother had recently been admitted to a local hospital for pneumonia, and doctors believed that she was an ideal candidate for an innovative “home hospital” program, which leverages remote care through the use of internet-enabled devices, video conferencing, and in-person home visits so the patient can receive care in the comfort of her own home.

But the plan fell apart. Though she was medically suitable and had a caring daughter ready to assist her, she lacked something critical: She didn’t have a stable internet connection at home. Rather than returning home, she remained in the hospital.

As this moment illustrates, health care and internet access are now inseparable. Those without reliable access to the internet find themselves facing major barriers to accessing telehealth services, patient portals, videoconferencing, and other health care technologies that have become vital in modern medicine. This digital divide perpetuates health inequalities and reinforces existing inequities.