The Impact and Benefits of Digital Health

The global pandemic accelerated a healthcare trend: the move toward digital health. With millions of medical practitioners and patients now accustomed to the advantages offered by digital tools, they look to become a permanent part of the healthcare industry.

That’s a good thing for patients. The ability to meet with doctors online and wear medical devices that continuously send important information to clinicians has made accessing healthcare services more convenient than ever. It’s also helping medical professionals improve patient care.

For healthcare workers, it’s opened up a new area where those with specialized in interdisciplinary education and knowledge in healthcare technology can make themselves more attractive candidates for the best available jobs.

What Is Digital Health?

Digital health, sometimes referred to as eHealth or telehealth, encompasses a variety of tools and systems in healthcare. 

Telemedicine. Systems that allow patients to meet with physicians and other healthcare providers remotely through video chat.

Mobile medical apps. These allow patients to transmit health information directly to doctors.

Wearable medical devices. These devices automatically transmit healthcare data from devices worn by patients.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning. These systems are used in a variety of ways, including providing clinician decision support to assist in making more accurate and informed patient diagnoses.

Virtual tools. Beyond medical apps and wearable devices, other virtual tools used in digital health include patient portals, cost estimators and scheduling apps.

Digital tools also play a significant role in healthcare outside of patient care. Hospitals, clinics, outpatient centers and other medical operations maintain patient records in electronic healthcare record systems, a change that has increased demand for those with expertise in health informatics.

The Advantages of Digital Health

Digital health tools and systems not only make healthcare care more convenient for patients, they also provide clinicians with data they can use to improve patient outcomes and promote wellness.

A study from researchers at the Hoopes Vision Research Center in Utah and the University of Colorado found that digital health is “gaining momentum” with medical professionals and patients for a variety of reasons.

• Increased patient access to healthcare (especially for patients in underserved rural areas)

• Reduced healthcare system inefficiencies and improved regulatory compliance

• Improved quality of care

• Lowered cost of healthcare

• More personalized healthcare for patients

Digital health also gives patients more control over their health, according to the study. For example, medical apps can help patients track issues such as blood pressure, blood sugar levels, compliance with medications, and their amount of physical activity.

The use of digital health tools and systems also allows the healthcare industry and governments to better address issues such as quality of care, overall population health, patient experience, and disparities in healthcare services among some communities.

The Impact of Digital Health on Jobs

The U.S Food and Drug Administration refers to digital health as a “convergence of people, information, technology, and connectivity to improve health care and health outcomes.” The FDA noted that smartphones, social networks and apps provide innovative ways for patients to monitor health and well-being, as well as have access to their health information.

Advances in health-related information technology have also led to better patient outcomes through increased adherence to guidelines, enhanced disease surveillance, and a decrease in medication errors, according to a research paper from MIT.

The revolution in health-related technology impacts healthcare workers in every part of the industry, including those who work directly with patients and those who maintain health records and use advanced digital tools for medical tests or to analyze patient data.

It’s also led to a more “consumer-centered” healthcare delivery model. Patients now expect to have the ability to meet with physicians and nurses remotely, for example. Many also expect to have access to health records at any time.

For healthcare workers who now make up 11 percent of the total U.S. workforce, the use of technology has coincided with an increase in the percentage of healthcare workers with a college education, according to the MIT paper.

It also reported that technology has led to more productivity by healthcare workers. However, the researchers also found that the benefits of digital health depend on the level of adoption by healthcare workers, a finding that indicates employers value those with knowledge in health informatics and other digital health tools.

‍