Digital health
Published on 17 Feb 2025
Digital health uses technology like mobile apps and wearables to enhance healthcare. It includes telemedicine, electronic health records, and other tech-based health solutions.
Importance of digital health
✔ Empowers patients: Digital tools give healthcare providers a complete view of patient health and allow patients more control over their care.
● Example: Wearable devices track vital signs and give real-time updates, helping patients and doctors make better choices.
✔ Efficient treatment: Digital health tools offer new ways to prevent, diagnose early, and manage chronic diseases outside traditional healthcare settings.
✔ Way to universal health coverage target: By making healthcare services more available, accessible, affordable, and equitable.
Challenges Faced in Digital Health Program
✔ Equitable Access: Ensuring fair access to digital health tools, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, is challenging due to disparities in digital literacy.
✔ Data Privacy: The use of digital health tools raises concerns about privacy, data protection, informed consent, and data ownership, given the sensitivity of health information.
● Example: Unauthorized access to health data from mobile apps and wearables can lead to privacy breaches and misuse of personal information.
✔ Data Management: Diverse systems and inconsistent data coding create challenges for ensuring seamless interoperability and integration of health data across platforms.
Example: Incompatible electronic health record (EHR) systems hinder the efficient sharing of patient information between different healthcare providers
✔ Technological Reliability: Dependence on technology introduces risks related to system failures, cyber-attacks, and technical glitches that can disrupt healthcare services.
● Example: System outages or cyber-attacks on digital health platforms can impede access to critical health information and services.
✔ Regulatory and Compliance Issues: Navigating the regulatory landscape for digital health solutions can be complex, involving adherence to various standards and regulations.
Initiatives by the Government of India
✔Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission: Ayushman Bharat is India's flagship scheme, launched in line with the National Health Policy 2017, to realize the vision of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). Its’ Features are
● Health ID: A free, voluntary digital account for citizens that stores health records to improve healthcare planning and implementation.
● Registries: Comprehensive databases of healthcare professionals (HPR) and facilities (HFR) for easy electronic access to medical services.
● Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission Sandbox: A testing framework for organizations to join and connect with the national digital health system.
✔ Global initiative on digital health: The World Health Organization (WHO) and India's G20 presidency have introduced a new Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH).
✔ e-Sanjeevani: A telemedicine system for doctor-to-doctor consultations, implemented through the Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) program.
✔ Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana: It provides Rs. 5 lakh per family each year for secondary and tertiary care, targeting the poorest 40% of the population.
✔ Cowin portal: It is a government portal launched in 2021 to manage and track India's COVID-19 vaccination process in real-time.
Way Forward
✔ Enhance Digital Infrastructure: Invest in improving digital infrastructure and internet connectivity, in underserved areas, to ensure equitable access to digital health services.
✔ Strengthen Data Privacy Protections: Implement robust data privacy regulations and standards to safeguard patient information and ensure informed consent for data use.
● Example: Adopting comprehensive data protection laws, similar to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the EU, can enhance security.
✔ Improve Interoperability: Develop and adopt standardized protocols for data management and integration to ensure seamless interoperability.
● Example: Promoting the use of interoperable standards like HL7 FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) can improve data sharing and integration.
✔ Invest in Cybersecurity: Enhance cybersecurity measures to protect digital health systems from threats, including cyber-attacks and data breaches.
● Example: Implementing advanced encryption and multi-factor authentication can safeguard digital health platforms from unauthorized access.
✔ Develop Clear Regulatory Frameworks: Establish clear and consistent regulatory guidelines to facilitate their development, deployment, and cross-border use.