Digital health: What is it?
The use of technology to address the world’s major issues, especially those in the field of global health, is increasing as technology develops. Digital health is the term for this nexus between technology and health.
The term “digital health” refers to a variety of technologically based solutions, including hardware like smartphone-connected medical devices and screening tools, software like mobile health apps and e-training platforms, and services that provide all-inclusive health solutions utilizing both hardware and software.
On a global scale, digital health is revolutionizing the healthcare system by incorporating analytics for decision-making and disease control, utilizing artificial intelligence and machine learning for disease detection and behavioural change, and implementing a systems-thinking approach for enhancing the patient journey through multiple digital health platforms.
For instance, the government in India has launched the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission to digitize its health services and build a strong digital health ecosystem. The goal of this initiative is to develop feasible, long-term solutions that prioritize the needs of patients.Recently, the Indian government has implemented a series of new regulations and standards aimed at improving data compliance and protection. Theseinclude changes to the Clinical Establishment Act, the National Digital Health blueprint, and a personal data protection bill.
Thanks to these initiatives, medical information like a patient’s medical history, test results, prescriptions, diagnosis, and treatment can now be easily accessed online or through authorized personal health record apps. This has led to faster information sharing among healthcare providers, improved communication between facilities and patients, and the convenience of having important medical documents readily available.
The digital healthcare industry in India, like in many other countries, is rapidly growing and improving. Companies in this field and those that support it are coming up with innovative ideas to enhance patient care, streamline communication between healthcare workers and facilities, and develop more advanced medical devices for faster and more precise diagnoses.
This transformation will allow people in smaller cities to receive the same level of medical treatment as those in larger cities, and remote learning will help strengthen the healthcare workforce. Overall, there is a lot of optimism for the future of this important industry in India and exciting advancements are expected in the coming years.