Data-driven digital health solutions — that is, digital health tools that are tailored to individual users’ needs based on their health data — make quality healthcare accessible to an increasing number of people who might not otherwise get the care they need.
According to Dr. Jens Härtel, Chief Medical Officer at Significo, most digital health tools take a stock approach instead of accounting for individual needs and preferences. “It’s very important for me that we figure out the needs of the human and what they like, and that we are offering only what they want and need,” he says.
When digital health tools are data driven and tailored to the individual end user, however, they transcend time and geographical barriers, giving people everywhere more access to information and resources and thereby more control to manage their own healthcare.
Read on to learn more about how data-driven digital health solutions are breaking barriers and making healthcare more accessible.
Considerations for Accessible Healthcare
When implementing data-driven digital health solutions to increase healthcare access, Härtel identifies a few considerations to keep in mind:
- Precision: When making healthcare recommendations, it’s crucial to ensure you’re making the right recommendations to the right people at the right time.
- Limitations: Digital health solutions should be available across devices and locations so everyone who needs them can use them.
- Sources: With so much information available via the internet, it can be difficult for patients to identify which sources are trustworthy.
Digital health solutions that address these considerations — providing widespread access tailored precisely to individual needs and guiding users in finding trustworthy sources of information — empower users to find useful resources and take action to improve their health.
Data-Driven Digital Health Solutions Breaking Barriers
Among numerous trends in innovative healthcare technology, Härtel points to three in particular that are currently breaking through barriers in healthcare accessibility through data-driven digital health solutions: algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI), wearable medical devices, and telemedicine.
Algorithms & AI
Through algorithms and AI, patients now have much greater access to information and special medicine. In radiology, for example, digitization makes it possible to analyze millions of data from past results, allowing for more precise diagnoses than ever before.
Likewise, when it comes to prevention and health planning, technology allows for the generation of personalized recommendations based on the patient’s own medical history and behavior, as well as health data and expert insights from all over the world.
Wearables
In the past, patients had to make appointments with their healthcare providers and undergo examinations to get updates on their health conditions. Now, wearable devices like smart watches enable patients to monitor and collect their own health data and share it with their healthcare providers.
From cardiology to dermatology, wearables allow patients to track symptom changes and fitness milestones, analyze results of treatments or activities, detect early signs of serious health issues, and much more — all while going about their daily routines.
Telemedicine
Through telemedicine, patients who live in areas with limited access to healthcare, or whose health conditions make it difficult for them to visit a doctor in-person, can now receive expert healthcare, even from specialists.
Additionally, telemedicine helps reduce medical costs by eliminating travel expenses and unnecessary hospital visits, while maintaining — or even improving — the quality of care provided.
Outcomes of Increased Healthcare Accessibility
Before, doctors were only available to patients at certain times on certain days. But now, data-driven digital health solutions give patients unlimited access to health information and advice — whenever and wherever they need it.
In addition to increased access to information, Härtel explains that data-driven digital health solutions make it easier for patients to adhere to health management plans. For example, automated reminders help prevent missed doses of medicine, while other digital resources can motivate patients to change behaviors to achieve their desired results.
Of course, for these tools to offer effective, personalized content, users must feel comfortable providing their health data in exchange for being able to use the tools.
Ultimately, Härtel emphasizes the importance of handling this data securely and being transparent about how it will be used, creating a valuable tool that people will want to use, and clearly communicating how it will improve the quality and accessibility of their healthcare.
Healthcare Accessibility Transformed
Data-driven digital health solutions have great potential to transform healthcare accessibility by breaking down barriers and empowering patients to take control of their own care.
By embracing technological innovation in healthcare and prioritizing patient-centric digital solutions, you can ensure everyone receives access to the health information and resources they need to improve their own health and well-being.
To learn more about how Significo can help you empower your team's uniqueness and fuel optimal performance, contact us today.
