Digital health
What is digital health?
Digital health encompasses technologies that use connectivity, computing platforms, sensors, and software for health care. These can include medical devices intended to treat a condition or applications for general wellness.
Digital health includes the following categories:
- Telehealth
- Telemedicine
- Mobile health (mHealth)
- Wearable devices
- Personalized medicine
- Health information technology (HIT)
Digital health tools improve a physician’s ability to diagnose and treat health conditions. They also enhance the delivery of health care services.
Some digital health is designed for use alongside another medical product, such as a drug, biologic, or device.
How does digital health improve healthcare?
Digital health technologies are used to:
- Reduce inefficiencies
- Increase quality
- Reduce costs
- Make medicine more personalized
Digital health improves healthcare through many modalities. Beyond its purpose to aid the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions, some digital health technology also allows patients to track their health. This offers physicians more patient information, leading to higher-quality care.
Through digital health, diseases can be diagnosed earlier, leading to the timely initiation of life-saving therapies. It can also help patients manage their chronic conditions no matter where they live in relation to their physician.