Digital health is a broad concept that merges healthcare with technology. It includes everything from devices and software to services, encompassing mobile health apps, electronic medical records (EHRs and EMRs), and wearables. This field also involves telehealth, telemedicine, and personal health records. Key players in digital healthcare are doctors, patients, researchers, software developers, and equipment manufacturers. Digital health is increasingly significant in today’s healthcare landscape.
Related terms include health information technology (health IT), which covers tools that aid healthcare, such as health informatics and analytics, as well as IT systems in hospitals.
Using technology to improve health and life quality isn’t new, but global challenges like aging populations, childhood mortality, epidemics, high healthcare costs, and disparities in access to digital healthcare are making these technologies even more important. Government health initiatives, like the U.S. Affordable Care Act (ACA), have prompted changes in digital healthcare by aiming to enhance healthcare quality through technology.
Health informatics is about using tech and data to improve healthcare efficiency and quality. This allows healthcare professionals to explore new implementations, find gaps, and integrate technology into practice. COVID-19 has accelerated this digital shift. Tools like online symptom checkers and remote monitoring are now common, enhancing patient engagement.
According to Deloitte, digital health extends beyond just tools; it includes concepts like AI, big data, and secure platforms aiming for consumer-centric, preventive healthcare. Innovations in AI, robotics, and big data are driving significant changes in healthcare and digital technology, leading to smart treatments and more efficient healthcare delivery.
The digital health industry is expected to grow significantly, with companies investing in healthcare apps driving this expansion. North America leads the market due to its aging population and rising smartphone adoption.
Digital health technologies aim to save time, improve accuracy, and offer new healthcare approaches, integrating with IoT, augmented reality, and blockchain. The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) involves using medical devices that connect to health information systems, facilitating better doctor-patient communication and reducing disease transmission risks.
Innovations like smartphone-connected pacemakers and wearables for long-term disease management are gaining momentum, driven partly by COVID-19. These technologies help monitor health conditions from home, enhancing patient data accuracy and connectivity.
AI is revolutionizing decision-making in healthcare by automating tasks and presenting real-time analytics. Hospitals utilize AI for patient monitoring and imaging, reducing task complexity and enhancing medical decisions. Digital twins, another AI application, simulate real-world conditions for medical devices.
Augmented reality (AR) fuses digital data with physical environments, aiding education, surgery visualization, and disease simulation.
Big data plays a critical role in healthcare, offering vast insights but also challenges, like managing its volume and diversity. It’s crucial for value-based healthcare, which relies on data analytics for better decision-making.
Big data analysis can minimize medication errors, support preventive care for frequent hospital visitors, and optimize staffing through predictive analytics.
Digital health promises not only to prevent diseases and cut healthcare costs but also to empower patients in managing chronic conditions and tailoring treatments. Healthcare professionals benefit from digital tools that provide a comprehensive view of patient health, improving access and information availability.
According to the FDA, digital technology is transforming health care—from mobile apps to AI-driven treatments, these tools enhance diagnosis, treatment, and healthcare quality. Technologies like VR, wearables, 5G, and telehealth improve care delivery and streamline workflows with AI.
However, the shift to digital health comes with challenges, such as data interoperability, digital literacy disparities, privacy, and ethical concerns. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) aims to protect patient privacy but has faced criticism for not doing enough. Proposed changes might affect patient access to their own health information and the shift to value-based care.
