We are living in an era of ongoing advances in digital technology. New innovations are making headlines every so often and pushing healthcare to adopt and adapt. As a result, innovative digital health tools are sweeping the industry, transforming how we provide patient care. These digital technology solutions offer better health service performance by making it more accessible and efficient while also improving the quality of care and patient engagement.
This guide explores how digital health technology is revolutionizing the industry. It also offers insights into digital health advantages and disadvantages for healthcare providers looking to stay ahead.
Digital Technology Definition in Healthcare
What is Digital Health Technology?
Digital health technologies are systems that utilize various electronic tools, computing platforms, and resources such as the Internet of Things (IoT), sensors, and mobile medical apps and software for healthcare and related uses. These technologies are typically developed to streamline healthcare operations, improve patient care, and reduce costs (1)(2).
Digital technologies offer a wide range of solutions, including electronic health records (EHRs), telemedicine, mobile health applications, AI-powered diagnostics, and more. Some of these technologies fall within the broader category of medical devices, while others do not. They may also be used to design or evaluate medical products (1)(2)(3).
Digital Technology Examples in Healthcare
- Telemedicine: Remote clinical and non-clinical services using telecommunication technology.
- Wearable Devices: Sensors or trackers that monitor patient vitals in real time.
- Electronic Health Records: Centralized systems for storing and managing all health-related patient data.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI): Predictive analytics tools to automate administrative tasks, predict patient risks, and improve diagnostics and treatment plans.
Internet of Medical Things (IoMT): A network of connected health devices and systems that share real-time data over the internet.
What Problems Can Be Solved Through Digital Health and Technology?
DHTs are helping providers to move healthcare from traditional clinical settings to patients’ homes. Digitalization is giving them a more holistic view of patient health, potentially allowing for more personalized care and earlier medical interventions.
How Has Digital Technology Improved Healthcare?
DHTs offer real opportunities to improve health outcomes and address many challenges in the healthcare industry (4):
Remote Access to Care
Digital health tools let patients access healthcare remotely at their convenience. Telemedicine solutions, for example, make it easier for patients in remote areas to consult specialists without having to travel.
Digital health also offers new opportunities for clinical studies. In decentralized clinical trials, technologies like sensors and telehealth allow for collecting continuous patient data directly from home (4)(5).
More Efficient Healthcare
Digital health solutions help automate routine administrative tasks like appointment scheduling and reminders. EHRs make record-keeping and data sharing easier for both patients and doctors. This reduces medical errors and improves operational efficiency, resulting in more efficient healthcare delivery (2).
Enhanced Personalized Care
Digital health tools allow health professionals to customize treatment plans based on individual patient data. By using AI-driven diagnostics and advanced data analytics, they can make early diagnoses and provide more personalized care plans tailored to the patient’s needs (6).
Increased Patient Engagement
Digital technologies like patient portals and mobile apps empower patients to make better-informed decisions by tracking their own health. These tools allow them to access their health data, schedule appointments, and communicate directly with doctors. In fact, when patients use these platforms, they are more likely to adhere to treatment plans, which may lead to improved health outcomes (2)(6).
Reduced Overall Cost
Digital health technologies help healthcare providers shift from fragmented care to an integrated system. A 2019 JAMA article estimates that fragmented care costs the U.S. healthcare system $30-$80 billion in waste per year (7).
In an integrated care system supported by technologies like cloud computing, AI, and IoT, patients experience seamless data sharing, real-time communication, and more coordinated care. This shift can reduce waste and lower operational costs (8).
Challenges of Digital Health Solutions
- Privacy and Security Concerns: Digital systems are at risk of cyberattacks, so protecting patient data is critical.
- Errors or Bias: Using AI or advanced algorithms requires quality datasets for training. Otherwise, these tools might misinterpret health data or produce inaccurate results.
- Regulatory Hurdles: Digital health tools must comply with healthcare regulations, but the process can be complicated and time-consuming.
- Technical Barriers: Not all patients have access to or are comfortable with digital tools.
- Initial Costs: Implementing digital health technologies can be costly, especially for smaller healthcare providers.
Selecting the Right Digital Technology Partners
Partnering with the right technology providers is the single most important step before adopting digital technology solutions. Select companies with a strong expertise and a solid track record in the industry. Consider the support and training they offer. The right partner can painlessly guide you through the digital transformation, ensuring the software integrates smoothly into your existing healthcare system.
Partner with IT Medical for the Future of Your Healthcare Tech
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References
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Rowlands, D. (2019). What is digital health? And why does it matter. Health Informatics Society of Australia, 2023-02.
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Yeung, A. W. K., Torkamani, A., Butte, A. J., Glicksberg, B. S., Schuller, B., Rodriguez, B., … & Atanasov, A. G. (2023). The promise of digital healthcare technologies. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, 1196596. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1196596.
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Fatehi, F., Samadbeik, M., & Kazemi, A. (2020). What is Digital Health? Review of Definitions. Studies in health technology and informatics, 275, 67-71. doi: 10.3233/SHTI200696.
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do Nascimento, I. J. B., Abdulazeem, H. M., Vasanthan, L. T., Martinez, E. Z., Zucoloto, M. L., Østengaard, L., … & Novillo-Ortiz, D. (2023). The global effect of digital health technologies on health workers’ competencies and health workplace: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and lexical-based and sentence-based meta-analysis. The Lancet Digital Health, 5(8), e534-e544. doi: 10.1016/S2589-7500(23)00092-4
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Mumtaz, H., Riaz, M. H., Wajid, H., Saqib, M., Zeeshan, M. H., Khan, S. E., … & Vohra, L. I. (2023). Current challenges and potential solutions to the use of digital health technologies in evidence generation: a narrative review. Frontiers in Digital Health, 5, 1203945. doi: 10.3389/fdgth.2023.1203945.
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Stoumpos, A. I., Kitsios, F., & Talias, M. A. (2023). Digital transformation in healthcare: technology acceptance and its applications. International journal of environmental research and public health, 20(4), 3407. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20043407.
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Shrank, W. H., Rogstad, T. L., & Parekh, N. (2019). Waste in the US health care system: estimated costs and potential for savings. JAMA, 322(15), 1501-1509. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.13978.
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Blockley, D., Stirrat, G., Alexander, K., & Phillips, S. (2022). Integrating health and social care services. Global Advances in Health and Medicine, 11, 2164957X221117112. doi:10.1177/2164957X221117112.
