Digital Health is the convergence of digital and genomic revolutions with health, healthcare, life and society. As we are already seeing and experiencing, digital health is enabling us to improve its monitoring, manage and improve our health and that of our family, improve our quality of life, to be more productive and contribute to improving society. It also helps us reduce inefficiencies in healthcare delivery, improve access to diagnosis and treatment, reduce costs, increase quality, and make medicine more personalized and accurate. For example, if medication for sexual health is needed, patients are able to look here as well as access digital health pathways.
The digitization process enables the adoption and use of digital innovation and this is presumed as the key element that will establish the competitive advantages of each healthcare company, not only today but in the years to come. Digital health will be oriented towards telemedicine, virtual healthcare through VeeKast, remote monitoring of patients or self-tests that will translate into better care. So … What technological innovations are making possible the evolution of health systems towards the digital sphere?
Big Data , the translation of data into digital health information
All the organizations that make up what we call the Health sector generate and accumulate huge amounts of data daily and incrementally. This trend is driven by the obligation to keep records, but the real potential, beyond complying of course with all current regulations, is to translate this data into high-value information.
AI and Machine Learning, algorithms in driving digital health
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is emerging as a tool capable of quickly learning and analyzing vast amounts of information from patient records, imaging tests and scientific advances to help healthcare professionals offer better diagnoses and treatments. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are starting to appear in different areas of healthcare and will bring significant changes for patients.
IoMT, the Internet of Medical Things arrives.
Optical sensors that allow to count the capacity of people in a space in order to control compliance with social distancing; telemedicine platforms that allow home health care to avoid the saturation of clinics and outpatient clinics. Sensorization already existed, but the fight against the coronavirus has exponentially accelerated its medical use.
Extended Reality, the tool that is revolutionizing digital health
The training of health professionals, the rehabilitation of patients or the treatment of psychological disorders are just some of the uses of immersive technologies since hardware has become “generalized” both in terms of price and performance. Extended Reality (XR, extended-realities) is the concept used to encompass all immersive technologies that attempt to emulate a physical world and immerse the user in an experience through a digital or simulated world.
There are many technological innovations that are revolutionizing digital health. However, all this digitization of information, taking into account its nature, is a critical element in the adoption of digital health models. At present, sensitive data, like any data related to health, must be treated with reserve and confidentiality. Data relating to people’s health is considered by regulations as “sensitive data”, which means that they will be subject to a special level of protection that implies stricter requirements for their collection and use. So… How to promote the digitization of my health business model in an efficient and safe way?
Onboarding, secure access to digital health services through strong authentication
The new digital heal model must offer practical web-based services, such as online platforms and courses, with secure access for all parts of our health system: staff, health personnel, patients… For this, it is necessary to identify the person and ensure the validity of it, through their digital identity through the onboarding. The most innovative onboarding solutions are a quick identity creation and real-time remote identity verification solution which facilitates the remote access of patients to health services regardless of their geographical location, obtain patient satisfaction, facilitate the work of healthcare personnel, avoid unnecessary waiting, etc.
Digital Certificate, guaranteeing the security of all digital health procedures and processes
Patients must find in the digital certificates the assurance that said documents will not be altered in the future and, if it is, said alteration will be reflected in them. Its use supposes, therefore, a guarantee that nobody will alter the information that has been provided to them in the future. Health professionals also find in digital certificates the same reasons as patients in relation to the security and alteration of both their documents and their medical orders. It is always about setting the maximum security parameters in the information registered and stored and guaranteeing that no one in the future can alter it.
Currently the certificates are synonymous with legality and if we live in a digital world these should be too. A digital certificate solution, enables health institutions to create and manage qualified digital certificates without having to manually install them on each device.
Digital signature, streamlining processes related to digital health
Continuing with the issuance of certificates, we have to talk about digital signatures, which help increase productivity and save time on administrative procedures. However, its benefits do not end here: in addition, they provide security to the information contained in the documents, guaranteeing their confidentiality, avoid fraud and identity theft.
Using a good digital signature solution means that patients can confirm their presence in health centers in order to optimize queues and block healthcare capacity, remotely sign documents that officialize informed consent and the legal implications of any medical procedure.
Digital Archiving, protecting patient privacy in the cloud
Digitization and archiving, as an information security discipline, helps healthcare organizations better manage personal information and records in digital repositories effectively and safely. Both patients and health professionals must be able to safely, easily and remotely access the information necessary to continue developing their activity.
The digital medical history of patients is a critical part of digital health in the clinical setting. Clinicians will need a central, portable repository of patient data, which will be easily accessible and actionable. Just as paper has been the central repository for all clinical data in the past, present, and future, the EHR will contain all clinical data on personal health.
But the true potential of all these solutions innovations has been integrated into a single ecosystem of all solutions, thus creating an end-to-end solution capable of generating power in all processes by both patients and workers of the health company. Integration, scalability and adaptability are crucial elements for the digitization of the health industry. To complete this revolution in the health industry, it will be necessary to have all the digital tools available to ensure not only benefits to the business but also to safeguard information related to people’s health. Because we must not forget that health is digital or traditional, it is provided by people, and for people in addition to being a universal right.
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