Health and well-being have always been among the most important aspects of our lives. With the advent of new technologies (cloud computing, big data, blockchain, artificial intelligence, etc.) in the world of healthcare, we have witnessed a momentous change: the birth of digital health.
Digital health provides new opportunities in terms of prevention, diagnosis, treatment and health monitoring. However, it has also introduced certain risks, which must be taken into due consideration.
Continue reading.
Table of contents
What is digital health
The term digital health refers to the combined use of technology and medicine to improve, personalise and make healthcare delivery more accessible.
Digital health brings with it a revolution: being able to access care remotely.
Digital health examples
Digital health is already a reality in our country. Here are some examples.
Health apps
Many apps allow you to monitor your health. One example is MyFitnessPal, designed to eat healthier, analyse calories and nutrients in detail and reduce BMI.
Or there is SleepCycle, the app that tracks circadian rhythms and helps you improve sleep quality. These are just two of thousands of apps that enhance the well-being of millions of people every day.
Telemedicine
Telemedicine, which had its exploit during the pandemic phase, enables the remote delivery of healthcare services by means of apps, instant messaging services, video calls and other communication channels.
It’s particularly useful for rural areas without medical facilities, or for monitoring chronic patients.
An example of successful telemedicine is the Doctor On Demand platform, which allows the sick to talk to doctors via webcam.
Wearable device
We all know them: they are the wearable devices (smartwatches, activity trackers, smart patches, etc.). The Apple Watch, probably the best-known of the wearable devices, can track vital parameters, heart rate and falls; similarly, the Fitbit wristband can track sleep quality, stress levels and blood pressure.
Other innovations falling under the umbrella of digital health are:
- virtual clinics, accessible via VR platforms;
- social media for health (used for information exchange);
- the electronic prescription, which collects a patient's clinical data and facilitates his or her referral to hospital facilities.
Benefits and drawbacks
Digital health offers countless benefits:
- it makes healthcare more accessible;
- it reduces healthcare costs;
- improves the quality of services provided;
- it strengthens the role of patients, who are thus more involved.
Digital health, however, also has drawbacks, such as:
- fake news, which damages medical information;
- violation of privacy, representing a potential risk to patients’ clinical data;
- dependence on technology, a real threat to doctor-patient relationships;
- digital divide, which does not guarantee equal access to the opportunities offered by digitalisation.
Finally, the little-known long-term effects should not be underestimated. Indeed, there is a lack of long-term studies on the psychophysical impact of a life increasingly mediated by technology.
The future of digital health
Nonostante detto, la sanità digitale continuerà a crescere ed evolversi. Gli sviluppi più promettenti includono:
- virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), which can simulate surgical procedures, provide immersive therapies and improve undergraduate and graduate training in the field;
- 3D printing, through which artificial organs and tissues can be made;
- genomics, the next frontier in molecular biology that will enable the prevention of rare diseases and cancers.
Challenges
The future challenges of digital health are:
- ensure the security and privacy of health data;
- ensuring the reliability and validity of digital technologies;
- promote equity and inclusion, avoiding inequalities or discrimination between digital natives and immigrants;
- integrating digital health methodologies with traditional health methodologies.
Each of the above challenges has the potential to revolutionise the way we deliver and receive healthcare. It’s up to us, and especially to health professionals, to face them and overcome them.
Rely on IPPOCRATE AS for the development of digital health solutions
IPPOCRATE AS, a JO Group cluster company, develops digital health solutions since more than 20 years. We create tailor-made ideas and projects that make a real contribution to people’s lives.
If you would like more information, would like to launch a new e-health app or are an entrepreneur with an innovative idea to spend in the field of digital health, please do not hesitate to contact us. A team of experienced consultants is at your disposal.