Digital Health

[1]

Digital Health[edit | edit source]

Digital health (DH) has gained popularity in the recent post-pandemic years because of its ability to provide alternative ways of delivery of healthcare and health system functions. [2]

DH refers to various healthcare aspects which involve [3]:

- Health Information Technology (IT)

- Mobile Health (mHealth)

- Wearable devices

- Telehealth / telemedicine

- Personalised medicine

Health professionals see high potential for digitalisation of elements of their practice and are in favour of digital adaptation. [4][5][6]

Taxonomy[edit | edit source]

Taxonomy for DH interactions may vary depending on different areas of technology and type of care. [7] For clinical practice, Pronovost et al. 's taxonomy [8] dividing DH into the following 3 categories of value seems to be most relevant:

- Digital access: scheduling and access to a health system through online, virtual, or other digital means to gain admission to a health care system or provider.

- Digital healthcare delivery (telehealth): this refers to virtual patient visits, with interaction between healthcare provider and patient

- Digital monitoring: sustaining the digital bond with patients on their care journey without direct interaction with them.

Advantages of DH in physiotherapy[edit | edit source]

  • Expansion of preventive care: more efficient use of predictive algorithms, improved genomics
  • Personalised plans: development of tools that focus more on personal health needs
  • Integrated care: better interdisciplinary communication through electronic documentation, connectivity and inter-operability of systems and devices
  • Digitalisation and innovation: novel technologies that save human time and resources, opportunities for tailored simulations in education, decentralised research
  • Standardisation of practice: through digital tools that objectively measure, monitor and deliver [9]
  • Remote management: enabling accessibility and maximisation of efficiency of available resources [10][11]
  • Faster development of drugs and devices: using digital twins

[12]

Digital Health Tools[edit | edit source]

- Synchronous communication (audio and video consultations)

- Asychronous communication(electronic health records, clinical reports, chat)

-Remote patient monitoring (hardware medical devices, software, clinic alarmistic)

- Artificial intelligence(support to decision-making, diagnosis and follow-up)

- Operational support(booking systems, integrated operational tools between institutions, interoperable tools)

[2]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ <a href="https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/female-doctor-with-smart-glasses-touching-virtual-screen-medical-technology_17122969.htm#query=digital%20health&position=3&from_view=keyword">Image by rawpixel.com</a> on Freepik [accessed 4-1-2023]
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 D'Anza B, Pronovost PJ. Digital Health: Unlocking Value in a Post-Pandemic World. Popul Health Manag. 2022 Feb;25(1):11-22.
  3. ↑ FDA.What is Digital Health? 2020 Available online: https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/digital-health-center-excellence/what-digital-health [accessed 4-1-2023]
  4. ↑ Estel K., Scherer J., Dahl H., Wolber E., Forsat N., Back D. Potential of digitalization within physiotherapy: a comparative survey. BMC Health Services Research 2022; 22:496.
  5. ↑ Wallcook S., Morris K. Supporting Digital Health and Digital Inclusion: An Occupational Therapy Perspective. Journal of Corporate Citizenship 2017;(68):82-94.
  6. ↑ Dahl-popolizio S., Carpenter H., Coronado M., Popolizio N.,Swanson C. Telehealth for the Provision of Occupational Therapy: Reflections on Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Int J Telerehabil. 2020; 12(2): 77–92.
  7. ↑ Classification of Digital Health Interventions. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2018. WHO/RHR/18.06. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
  8. ↑ Pronovost P., Urwin J., Beck E., Coran J., Sundaramoorthy A., Schario M., Muisyo J., Sague J., Shea S., Runnels P. Making a dent in the trillion-dollar problem: toward zero defects. NEJM Catal Innovations Care Delivery 2021;2.
  9. ↑ Lamplot J., Pinnamaneni S., Swensen-Buza S., Lawton C., Dines J., Nawabi D., Young W., Rodeo S., Taylor S. The virtual shoulder and knee physical examination. Orthop J Sports Med. 2020;8(10):2325967120962869.
  10. ↑ Bossen D., Veenhof C., Van Beek K., Spreeuwenberg P., Dekker J., De Bakker D. Effectiveness of a web-based physical activity intervention in patients with knee and/or hip osteoarthritis: randomized controlled trial. J Med Internet Res. 2013;15(11):e257.
  11. ↑ Grona S., Bath B., Busch A., Rotter T., Trask C., Harrison E. Use of videoconferencing for physical therapy in people with musculoskeletal conditions: a systematic review. J Telemed Telecare. 2018;24(5):341–55.
  12. ↑ Digital Europe. A digital health decade: driving innovation in Europe. Available online: https://digital-europe-website-v1.s3.fr-par.scw.cloud/uploads/2022/04/DIGITALEUROPE_A-DIGITAL-HEALTH-DECADE_DRIVING-INNOVATION-IN-EUROPE.pdf [accessed 19-12-2022]
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