Digital Health
Digital technologies have transformed the way we work, shop, and socialise. Increasingly these technologies are being implemented to support healthcare delivery, identify unmet needs, measure outcomes and shape services. There is also the potential to manage demand for health and care services by engaging citizens in playing a more active role in their care.
Digital health refers to the myriad of approaches that bring to bear the potential of digital technologies in improving health, care delivery and patient experience. Those technologies encompass a wide variety of tools, ranging from wearable sensors and mobile health care apps, IT infrastructure and software platforms and telemedicine tools.
Whilst “Digital Health” has many different aspects one common thread is data and how the growing body of data is collected, aggregated, analysed and acted upon. Thus, a key need in the digital health space is the availability of usable data to provide the “fuel” for generating value.
The digitisation of healthcare systems is essential for their long-term sustainability, but achieving this goal demands both financial investment in infrastructure and the development of necessary skills. Furthermore, the seamless flow and accessibility of data, particularly for research and development purposes, are critical components to facilitate this transformation, benefiting both healthcare systems internally and the broader industry in the creation of innovative technologies.
Artificial Intelligence has already assumed a substantial role in service delivery within various sectors. Notably, clinical tools employing AI have established regulatory frameworks, ensuring that AI integration into healthcare adheres to established guidelines and is not a 'wild west' scenario. To effectively adapt to the rapid pace of technological advancement, an agile approach is required, emphasising the development of standards and guidance rather than relying solely on legislation to keep up with these changes.
An international approach is crucial. The utilisation of digital tools has the potential to enhance accessibility and enable early diagnosis, thereby promoting equitable healthcare access on a global scale. While the UK possesses distinct assets such as abundant data resources, renowned academic institutions, and substantial investments in AI, it has encountered challenges in effectively leveraging these strengths to generate significant economic value within the healthcare sector.
- To realise the opportunities that digital health presents, our work is structured in the following 5 areas.