Catherine Whicher
Senior Researcher, The Health Policy Partnership
The health sector is in the middle of one of its biggest transitions ever. Systems are digitalising, and we must understand what this involves well enough to fully engage in shaping the future of our care.
Slowly but surely, the delivery of healthcare is evolving to harness the use of data and digital technologies. This can better empower people to self-manage their conditions, improve efficiency in the delivery of care and ease capacity constraints. However, deploying new technologies is just the tip of the iceberg; achieving truly data-driven healthcare will require a significant overhaul for health systems and healthcare professionals as they leave behind decades of paper-based processes.
Involving all stakeholders
A comprehensive, system-wide approach is needed. It must draw on insights from all relevant actors within the health system: patients, clinical teams, administrators and regulators. They must all have the digital literacy to fully participate in discussions, planning and implementation of digital health systems.
The growing emergence of cloud technology is a perfect illustration of why taking such a multi-stakeholder approach is essential. Many fields, such as genomics, already utilise huge computational power and speed far beyond the capacity of ordinary computers, having migrated their digital processes to cloud-based technologies. These once-discrete domains no longer belong to one scientific speciality but are the result of a convergence of experts in genomics, pathology, diagnostics, AI, data analysis and epidemiology.
Both clinicians and patients need to understand
how to operate self-monitoring tools such
as wearables and mobile apps.
Gaining trust and autonomy
Both clinicians and patients need to understand how to operate self-monitoring tools such as wearables and mobile apps. They must be comfortable working with electronic health records, digital communication and data protection policies.
The everyday understanding of privacy policies and data protection will also help patients and clinicians to have confidence in the secure sharing of personal health data for diagnosis, treatment and research. Conveniently, certifications exist to verify whether different technologies have met industry standards, and compliance can be built into platforms’ functionalities.
Utilising tech in a meaningful way
What we need now is a concerted effort to instil a better understanding of digital health beyond IT experts — among patient advocates, healthcare professionals, policymakers and the wider public. These decision-making groups must be fully informed about what new technologies mean to meaningfully shape policies around their use and ensure that digitalisation is undertaken with the priorities and needs of the public at heart.