Optimizing Healthcare Through Digital Health and Wellness Solutions to Meet the Needs of Patients With Chronic Disease During the COVID-19 Era

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed and exacerbated longstanding inefficiencies and deficiencies in chronic disease management and treatment in the United States, such as a fragmented healthcare experience and system, narrowly focused services, limited resources beyond office visits, expensive yet low quality care, and poor access to comprehensive prevention and non-pharmacological resources. It is feared that the addition of COVID-19 survivors to the pool of chronic disease patients will burden an already precarious healthcare system struggling to meet the needs of chronic disease patients. Digital health and telemedicine solutions, which exploded during the pandemic, may address many inefficiencies and deficiencies in chronic disease management, such as increasing access to care. However, these solutions are not panaceas as they are replete with several limitations, such as low uptake, poor engagement, and low long-term use. To fully optimize digital health and telemedicine solutions, we argue for the gamification of digital health and telemedicine solutions through a pantheoretical framework—one that uses personalized, contextualized, and behavioral science algorithms, data, evidence, and theories to ground treatments.

Virtual management of hypertension: lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic–International Society of Hypertension position paper endorsed by the World Hypertension League and European Society of Hypertension

“…Psychological stress can be tackled by teaching patients stress reduction techniques, for instance, sleep adequacy, deep breathing exercises, meditation, yoga, limiting social media usage, and immersive activities such as crafting, gardening, or cooking [74]. Virtual care should be tailored to individual needs, and contextualized to the patient's environment, culture, and personal preferences to complement the management of hypertension [75]. Optimally, patients would receive health behavior and psychosocial support from multidisciplinary teams that include a nutritionist, lifestyle or exercise coach, and community peer support with a case manager and under the supervision of the physician [76] (see Fig.…”

Digital health innovations for non-communicable disease management during the COVID-19 pandemic: a rapid scoping review

“…However, some of the challenges they and the telemedicine literature highlight hold relevance to our findings broadly. These have to do with technological barriers, digital literacy, financial and security aspects 17 42 48–52. We found an inequitable regional distribution in DHI implementation with most implementations in the Americas, especially the USA.…”

Preliminary investigation of the student-delivered Community Outreach teleheAlth program for Covid education and Health promotion (COACH)

“…The effects of COVID-19 shifted how chronic diseases were managed and delivered, as there was an increased demand for health services, not only for people with COVID-19 but also for people with chronic diseases. 34 People with chronic diseases either struggled to receive proper health resources or avoided forms of medical care out of fear of contracting the COVID-19 virus. 34 Thus, increasing the importance and demand for services that support chronic disease prevention and management.…”

“… 34 People with chronic diseases either struggled to receive proper health resources or avoided forms of medical care out of fear of contracting the COVID-19 virus. 34 Thus, increasing the importance and demand for services that support chronic disease prevention and management. As COACH was developed early in the pandemic, it serves as an early example of the useful delivery of chronic disease prevention and management (i.e.…”