Technology is dominating almost all aspects of human lives now. From ordering food, shopping for clothes, paying your bills to even pursuing a course, everything can be done from within the four walls of your house using technologically driven gadgets. Healthcare systems around the world during covid struggled with challenges like medical inaccessibility to people who live in remote locations, unequal access to care, and high costs to name a few. This led to the formation of the digital healthcare ecosystem. Let’s take a look at what exactly is the digital healthcare system and how it is beneficial to mankind.
What is Digital Health?
In simple words, digital health implies the integration or use of technology to improve the overall wellness and health of an individual. Information technology and equipment advancements are reshaping the entire healthcare sector by enabling the delivery of healthcare outside of hospitals and clinics and integrating it into our daily lives. The important thing to remember is that we no longer need to spend as much time in hospitals because we can take care of our health at home or work. It is a broad sector that seems to be growing with every passing day. Digital healthcare system includes everything from wearable devices that help us to monitor our body stats, robot caregivers, and mobile apps to access healthcare on the go, to maintaining EHR (Electronic Health Record).
What Advantages Do Digital Health Technologies Offer?
The COVID-19 epidemic, quick digitalization, rising internet and smartphone penetration, and government programs like the National Digital Health Mission are all driving the healthcare sector’s rapid digitization and innovation. According to experts, digital health is much more than just using technology, it’s more of a promise that focuses on preventative and timely care for an individual. Let’s take a look at some of the main advantages or benefits that the digital healthcare system offers.
- Single source of medical records: Since many years ago, we have stored our medical records in thousands of paper files, however, this also results sometimes in losing or misplacing the important prescription. Thanks to the transformation that digital health has brought about in file management, using digital technological tools like Electronic Health Records, an individual can now easily store, organize and secure all their and their family members’ medical records in one single place. You no longer have to worry about misplacing important scans, reports, doctor prescriptions, previous hospitalization records, treatments etc. All you need to do is to register and create a health ID card online. Even doctors can easily view a patient’s medical history, retrieve crucial data, respond to inquiries, give precise therapy, and even check when and how the patient was most recently treated.
- Enter health data online from multiple locations: Digital healthcare system always puts the patients at the forefront. The virtual patient portals allow patients to log in and update their health-related information at any time from anywhere in the world.
- Generate health profiles from medical data: Digital healthcare systems use AI (artificial intelligence) to analyze the medical data that you share to automatically generate an individual’s health profile. This health profile highlights the potential medical risks based on the symptoms, gives the vital organ rating, and allows users to keep a track of critical vitals like blood pressure, sugar levels, cholesterol levels, and more. It also makes recommendations to connect with a doctor for preventative consultation.
- Accessibility to consultation at any time: Let’s imagine a situation, you are traveling and you suddenly feel unwell. There is no sign of a hospital or health care center for many kilometers. In such situations, the digital healthcare system comes to the rescue. Using your smartphone you can easily connect with available doctors for a consultation, and receive timely treatment.
- Improved lines of communication: Digital healthcare ecosystem has made it possible for patients to connect with doctors through various modes like texts, phone, e-mail, and sometimes even through social media. By using the communication options available, a patient can view the doctor’s available schedule, book appointments, and reorder a prescription, thus simplifying healthcare and enabling enhanced care.
- Share feedback easily: Digital healthcare system is promoting an ecosystem of two-way communication. It provides the patients with a platform that allows them to share their honest feedback about their experience when they visit a doctor. Genuine patient feedback is unquestionably important information for a doctor or clinic to work on improving its services.
No matter where they are in the country, people can access the widest possible network of high-quality care thanks to digital health.
