Ernst & Young and BUSPH collaboration: Focusing on health equity to build better online health resources for women
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to substantially greater use of health-related online resources and more time spent in online environments. More than half of people in the US go online to get health-related information, though what they are looking for and how they engage varies significantly by age, education level, and other demographics. Women are the greatest consumers of healthcare information, and research has shown they make the majority of healthcare-related decisions for themselves and their families. As a result, there are a wide array of women’s health-oriented websites offering education, tools, communities, and products that have been created for women by marketers, healthcare organizations, advocacy groups, and federal agencies.
EY and idea hub at Boston University School of Public Health conducted a formative study to review women’s health-oriented web-based resources and assessed the presence or absence of health equity language and principles. This process informed a set of recommendations for businesses interested in advancing health equity in online environments.