Digital Health

Although there are numerous definitions for digital health, they all focus on empowering individuals to take control and make informed decisions about their own health and wellness. This requires a range of digital tools and technologies to connect consumers with care delivery, from traditional settings, such as the hospital, to the home. Healthcare and wellness delivered conveniently to everyone, everywhere will facilitate prevention of disease, enable early diagnosis of life-threatening diseases, and help in the management of chronic conditions.

Additionally, there has been a growing trend toward healthcare consumerism – amovement to make the delivery of health services more efficient, convenient, and cost effective. This has included finding a doctor or specialist using online referral tools, to personalising the experience through to accessing virtual health services and capabilities. Consumers want the same digital experience and convenience for their health as they experience in other parts of their life, such as home shopping or online banking.

Technology innovation has profoundly changed how health is measured, managed, and delivered today, and how life science discovers, develops, and produces drugs. Artificial intelligence (AI) provides the capabilities for learning and decision support with health apps facilitating new health insights, decisions, and behavioural change. Mobile is important for providing direct, anytime, anywhere access for the individual with connected health devices and IoT allowing for continuous monitoring to provide patient insights. Hybrid cloud technology enables health organisations to work collaboratively. With healthcare and life science being among the most highly regulated industries, organisations need technologies that address critical imperatives of increased security, protection of highly sensitive patient data, and meeting regulatory compliance while reducing risk.

But in light of a strained and reconfigured healthcare system due to COVID-19 – and with many patients self-isolating – the rate of adoption and use of digital health facilities has increased rapidly. Primary care practitioners, from doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, transitioned to predominately virtual consultations in a matter of weeks. Virtual health appointments complement in-person interaction and offer digital checkpoints with care facilities to reduce the cost of care for all, even those with complicated conditions that require monitoring and regular provider check-in. With individuals having to socially distance or self-isolate, there was the potential for the spread of mental, as well as physical, issues (see Digital Mental Health boxout):

As we make plans for life beyond the pandemic, will the momentum for digital health continue apace? Digital solutions, such as AI-enabled virtual assistants can identify, monitor, and motivate patients through natural disease progression, or offer guidance through a treatment and rehabilitation exercise regime for payers, providers, and members. They can also enrich the user experiences making it simpler and highly personalised. The benefits of digital engagement include better health outcomes, fewer readmittances after initial diagnosis or procedure, better and more instances of preventative care, and more people with access to care living healthier and more fulfilling lives. While the cost of care decreases, patient satisfaction and retention can grow.

Build on your experience of digital health before and during the pandemic to: