Digital Health: Trends, Tech, & Opportunities for Wellness

Digital health is a broad term that encompasses various types of technologies and solutions that aim to enhance the health and wellness of individuals and populations. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), digital health is “the field of knowledge and practice associated with the development and use of digital technologies to improve health”

Here We Will se some examples of digital health technologies, as such:

• Telemedicine: This is the delivery of health care services and information through remote means, such as phone, video, or internet. Telemedicine can improve access, quality, and efficiency of health care, especially for rural and underserved areas, and for chronic and emergency conditions²
• Electronic health records (EHRs): These are digital versions of patients’ medical histories, diagnoses, treatments, prescriptions, and other health information. EHRs can facilitate the sharing and coordination of health data among different health care providers and settings, and can improve the accuracy, safety, and continuity of care³
• Wearable devices: These are devices that can be worn on the body, such as smart watches, fitness trackers, or biosensors, and can measure and monitor various health indicators, such as heart rate, blood pressure, glucose level, or sleep quality. Wearable devices can provide real-time feedback and insights to users and health care professionals, and can encourage healthy behaviours and lifestyles
• Mobile health apps: These are applications that can be downloaded and used on smartphones, tablets, or other mobile devices, and can provide various health-related functions, such as education, diagnosis, prevention, management, or support. Mobile health apps can empower users to take charge of their own health and well-being, and can offer personalized and interactive solutions⁵
• Artificial intelligence (AI): This is the ability of machines or systems to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as perception, reasoning, learning, decision making, and problem solving. AI can be applied to various aspects of health care, such as drug discovery, medical imaging, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and research. AI can enhance the speed, accuracy, and effectiveness of health care, and can generate new insights and innovations

What are the trends and opportunities of digital health?

Digital health is a rapidly evolving and expanding field that offers many opportunities for innovation and improvement in health care and health outcomes. Some of the current and emerging trends and opportunities of digital health are:

• Home-based health care: This involves using technology to enable and support the delivery and management of health care services and products at home, rather than in a hospital or clinic. Home-based health care can reduce costs, increase convenience, and improve patient satisfaction and quality of life, especially for elderly, disabled, or chronically ill patients⁷
• Alternative care models: These are new and innovative ways of organizing and providing health care services and products, such as virtual care, direct-to-consumer care, or value-based care. Alternative care models can address the gaps and challenges of the traditional health care system, such as accessibility, affordability, quality, and efficiency, and can offer more choice, flexibility, and customization to patients and providers
• Women’s health: This is a growing and underserved segment of the health care market that focuses on the specific health needs and issues of women, such as reproductive health, maternal health, menopause, and mental health. 
• Mental health: This is a critical and often neglected aspect of health and wellness that affects the psychological, emotional, and social well-being of individuals and communities. 
• Health equity: This is the fair and just distribution of health and health care resources and opportunities among different groups of people, regardless of their social, economic, or geographic status. Health equity can benefit from digital health solutions that can bridge the gaps and disparities in health and health care, and that can offer more inclusive, diverse, and culturally sensitive solutions.

How can digital health benefit individuals and society?

Digital health has the potential to transform the health and wellness of individuals and society in many ways, such as:

• Improving health outcomes: Digital health can improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases, and can reduce the morbidity and mortality rates of various health conditions. It can also improve the management and control of chronic and infectious diseases, and can enhance the resilience and immunity of individuals and populations.
• Enhancing health care delivery: Digital health can improve the efficiency, quality, and safety of health care services and products, and can reduce the errors, costs, and waste of the health care system. Digital health can also improve the communication, collaboration, and coordination among different health care providers and settings, and can increase the satisfaction and trust of patients and providers.
• Empowering health consumers: Digital health can empower individuals to take more responsibility and ownership of their own health and wellness, and to make more informed and evidence-based decisions about their health care. Digital health can also enable individuals to access and contribute to their own health data and information, and to co-create and participate in their own health solutions.
• Promoting health literacy: Can promote the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that individuals and communities need to understand and use health information and services effectively. 
• Advancing health innovation: Digital health can advance the research, development, and discovery of new and improved health technologies, solutions, and practices, and can generate new insights and knowledge for health and medicine. Digital health can also foster the collaboration and partnership among different stakeholders and sectors, and can create new markets and opportunities for health and economic growth.

Have you experienced the advantages of Digital Health yet? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!