Digital health is a cultural transformation of traditional healthcare

Abstract

Under the term "digital health", advanced medical technologies, disruptive innovations and digital communication have gradually become inseparable from providing best practice healthcare. While the cost of treating chronic conditions is increasing and doctor shortages are imminent worldwide, the needed transformation in the structure of healthcare and medicine fails to catch up with the rapid progress of the medical technology industry. This transition is slowed down by strict regulations; the reluctance of stakeholders in healthcare to change; and ignoring the importance of cultural changes and the human factor in an increasingly technological world. With access and adoption of technology getting higher, the risk of patients primarily turning to an accessible, but unregulated technological solution for their health problem is likely to increase. In this paper, we discuss how the old paradigm of the paternalistic model of medicine is transforming into an equal level partnership between patients and professionals and how it is aided and augmented by disruptive technologies. We attempt to define what digital health means and how it affects the status quo of care and also the study design in implementing technological innovations into the practice of medicine.

The role of artificial intelligence in precision medicine

“…Cheap genome sequencing, advanced biotechnology, health sensors patients use at home, and the collection of information about patients' journey in healthcare with hand-held devices have all been producing a vast amount of data. With the smartphone and health tracker revolutions under the name of digital health [2], it has become impossible for a physician to analyze all those data or simply to be up-to-date.…”

<p>On the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Genomics to Enhance Precision Medicine</p>

“…2,5 The great heterogeneity existing in the processes that contribute to disease and health, suggests a need for tailoring medical care. 6,7 Consequently, instead of making diagnostics according to classical medicine in which decisions are taken based on disease and patient's similar characteristics; precision medicine aims to shift medicine toward prevention, personalization, and precision through genomics, AI, and biotechnology. Provided how important these toolkits are in elucidating appropriate intervention targets and medical strategies for treating individual patients, AI can play an important role in the development of personalized medicines and treatments.…”

“…Provided how important these toolkits are in elucidating appropriate intervention targets and medical strategies for treating individual patients, AI can play an important role in the development of personalized medicines and treatments. 7 The definition of Personalized Medicine, according to the Precision Medicine Initiative, considers it "an emerging approach for disease treatment and prevention that takes into account individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle for each person." Nowadays, there are available tools that are capable of collecting a large amount of genomic data, alongside with cutting-edge data analytics for interpretation, which aid in our understanding of genomics, disease mechanisms, and treatments ( Figure 1).…”

Blended cognitive behavior therapy : efficacy and acceptability for treating depression in the adult and adolescent population

“…As part of the expansion of digital health, a myriad of technologies are being developed to assist in screening, monitoring, consultation and management of somatic and mental conditions (Duggal, Brindle & Bagenal, 2018;Hollis et al, 2015;Mesko, Drobni, Benyei, Gergely & Gyorffy, 2017;Vis et al, 2018). New technologies and methods -artificial intelligence, non-intrusive behavioral data collection, natural language processing and virtual reality -open the door to new intervention paradigms (Mohr, Weingardt, Reddy & Schueller, 2017).…”

“…New technologies and methods -artificial intelligence, non-intrusive behavioral data collection, natural language processing and virtual reality -open the door to new intervention paradigms (Mohr, Weingardt, Reddy & Schueller, 2017). The ability to access information, including objective personal data, is empowering to patients in initiating, making decisions about and managing their own wellbeing (Hollis et al, 2015;Mesko et al, 2017). Especially for young individuals, the combination of access, autonomy and discretion provided in the online arenas is attractive and sometimes critical to taking the first step toward mental health management (Gulliver, Griffiths & Christensen, 2010;Hollis et al, 2015).…”