ICTs and Digital Health

- Overview

Digital health is the use of information and communications technology (ICT) to address health needs. It's a broad field that includes eHealth, mobile health (mHealth), and telemedicine. Digital health technologies use software, connectivity, computing platforms, and sensors for health care and related purposes. 

Digital health technologies can have many benefits, including:

• Improved access: Digital health can help expand access to healthcare for marginalized communities. Virtual care can also reach more people than in-person care and is often cheaper.
• Better diagnosis and treatment: Digital health technologies can help improve the accuracy of diagnoses and treatments. For example, machine learning algorithms can help improve diagnoses, and AI-generated insights can influence treatment choices.
• More efficient healthcare: Digital health can help reduce inefficiencies in the healthcare system and increase operational efficiency at health facilities.
• Personalized care: Digital health technologies can help provide personalized treatment plans and recommendations that can help prevent health issues.

Some examples of digital health technologies include: 

• Smartphone apps
• Wearable devices, such as step trackers
• Platforms that provide remote healthcare
• Software to track symptoms
• Online tools to diagnose conditions
• Programs that analyze data from medical devices

- e-Health 

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines e-health as the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to promote health. Digital health, which includes e-health, mobile health and telemedicine, uses digital technologies extensively to achieve healthcare and health-related purposes in various environments inside and outside medical institutions.

Technological innovations, robotics and the Internet of Things (IoT) have led to the increasing use of different digital devices by healthcare professionals and staff in hospitals and clinics. Electronic health records (EHRs) have transformed and facilitated care for many categories of patients. Digital data related to healthcare treatments and patients continues to grow.

Given the increasing popularity of devices, ICT can become a key part of health treatment and prevention strategies. For example, wearables and fitness equipment can now play a key role in monitoring and prevention.

[More to come ...]