Examining an Outcomes-Focused Approach to Digital Health
Digital health has come to the forefront of healthcare since 2020, and there are exciting opportunities for advancements into the future. Yet there is danger lurking in IT companies that innovate too slowly and keep healthcare professionals operating in outdated technology. The goal of technology should be to assist clinicians in doing high quality work and enjoying it – not undercutting the methods they’ve created to deliver quality care. Here’s a current look at digital health and potential advancements and risks for the future.
Lessons From the COVID-19 Pandemic on Digital Health
Though the COVID-19 pandemic brought negative things for many people in the world, the pandemic restrictions forced some technology advances to the forefront of healthcare. Some lessons learned from digital health include:
Telehealth visits between patients and their healthcare professionals via computer, tablet, or smartphone can replace some in-person visits to save time and to decrease risk of infection.
Patients who lack some English-language proficiency can benefit from both workers who can help translate for them and from computer-generated text translations.
Use of patient portals can help expedite some routine tasks like prescription refills and informing patients about lab test results.
Telehealth visits can help bridge the gap for some underserved patients by offering a way to receive care while also reducing time away from work.
Rural locations need increased Internet bandwidth to carry out successful virtual health visits for all patients.
Some elderly patients and those without mobile devices have been left behind with telehealth.
How Digital Health Can Innovate for Providers
Digital health can continue to supply innovation for healthcare professionals to care for their patients. English language proficiency can sometimes become a barrier to care for some underserved patients. The ACTIVATE health equity initiative is a prime example of how digital health innovated for providers and utilized digital health to improve care for underserved agricultural workers. Warm-hearted digital animated videos were created to explain digital health and to overcome English language barriers for the underserved patients in Merced County, California. Voiceovers were created in both English and Spanish, and language subtitles were produced in English, Spanish, Hmong, and Punjabi.
Other health equity-focused organizations are developing digital health tools to further expand the critical outreach efforts for at-risk and underserved communities. The virtual Lazarex Cancer Wellness HUB concept ensures that there will be a digital point of contact for underserved populations who need specialized, personalized, and time-critical support. The platform will serve site visitors a curated dashboard of cancer support resources based on their requested topics, and it also will function as a HUB connecting the clinical cancer treatment communities to those, often overlooked but have great need.
Lazarex Cancer Wellness HUB visitors may also use the site to develop a deeper relationship with the Lazarex Cancer Care Companions. These trained medical support professionals provide the much-needed personalized exploration, guidance, and direct connection to services and opportunities that are otherwise often absent throughout a cancer journey. The Cancer Care Companions can check in and assist residents of the virtual LCWH wherever they are in their cancer care journey. The service is digital health technology that can effectively develop interpersonal relationships between cancer patients and care providers. These relationships are imperative to ensure trust, to expand access to equitable care, diversify cancer clinical trials, and improve health outcomes for everyone.
New Technologies for Better Clinical Decisions for Patients
Embracing some new health technologies can help healthcare professionals (HCPs) make better clinical decisions for patients. Some technologies that have the potential to improve patient care include:
Remote monitoring tools that can help HCPs maintain observation of patient heart activity, lung function, exercise levels, and brain activity.
Advancements in technology called e-skins may help with patient compliance with drug treatments by delivering treatments via the surface of the skin.
Genetic testing advancements continue to improve personalized medicine for patients to help determine optimal treatments for each patient.
Technology advancements also enable HCPs to use robotics or other technologies for some tasks to free up more time to spend with patients and to learn about research advancements for patients under their care.
Future Outlook for Provider-Focused Approach
Looking to the future for improved healthcare experiences for patients and providers, it’s of prime importance to embrace a provider-focused approach to digital health disruption. "It will require a new generation of digital health founders and technologists who understand that healthcare can only be as dynamic and outcomes-focused as its practitioners are equipped to be." There is optimism in the future of digital technology in healthcare, but healthcare professionals must be provided with effective tools that put them on the path to providing improved care for patients. Otherwise, the technology changes are working against the patients and healthcare professionals they are attempting to serve.
Source
Sean Doolan. Digital Health Is Overlooking Its Biggest Opportunity for Disruption. STAT website. Accessed May 17, 2022. https://www.statnews.com/2022/04/01/digital-health-overlooking-biggest-opportunity-disruption/
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Importantly, this information is not a substitute for, nor does it replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a healthcare professional.
