Digitalization in Health

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DOI :10.26650/B/LSB40.2024.035.01   IUP :10.26650/B/LSB40.2024.035.01    Full Text (PDF)

Structure of the Healthcare System and Digital Integration

Meryem Demirtaş

The digitization of healthcare systems involves the implementation of technological infrastructures for various processes within healthcare. The digitization of healthcare is defined as the use of Internet-based information and communication technologies to manage the health of individuals and communities and to diagnose and treat diseases. This integration of digital technologies in healthcare is facilitated by such applications as e-health, m-health, healthcare simulation, the Internet of Things, digital hospitals, wearable health devices, and artificial intelligence applications. There is a growing need to use technological infrastructure across all steps of the provision of healthcare. Healthcare systems are being forced to adapt to the relentless advances of technology, which have inevitably permeated every facet of life. Indeed, it has become almost impossible to imagine health systems without technology on a global scale since the 20th century, when information and technology started to be intertwined for use. The technologies embedded in healthcare systems are instrumental in improving the quality of healthcare outcomes, new diagnosis and treatment processes, protection of health, reducing costs associated with healthcare provision, ensuring continuous patient engagement regardless of time and space constraints, and streamlining both healthcare delivery processes and administrative procedures for healthcare providers. The digital healthcare system will improve global health outcomes beyond national boundaries. Therefore, the digitization of healthcare systems is of great and critical importance in realizing the expected advances in healthcare services.

Proper use of digitized healthcare systems requires a nuanced understanding of the sociodemographic and socioeconomic determinants of the target population, as well as the sensitive adaptation of digital applications. When developed and deployed appropriately, digitized healthcare systems are expected to improve patient safety, reduce healthcare costs, promote patient participation in the healing process, and optimize resource utilization. This section discusses both the structure of healthcare systems and the transformative impact of digitalization within healthcare systems. The article also examines the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in driving the digitalization of healthcare while outlining a general framework for digital integration within the healthcare system. In addition, key areas such as e-health, m-health, telemedicine, and others where digital integration has been used were briefly discussed. The potential positive and negative impacts of digital integration were also discussed. Conclusively, the rapid pace of technological advancement has not only changed but also raised expectations for healthcare services. In this regard, it is imperative to embrace the innovative transformation that technology is bringing to effectively address these evolving expectations. The digitization of healthcare services has the potential to forge connections between nations and global societies, thereby fostering the improvement of global health.


Keywords: Healthcare systems, digitalization, digital integration, digital challenges

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