Digital Health Explained: Why It Matters and What to Know

From online shopping recommendations made through machine learning to automated financial investments powered by artificial intelligence, the digital revolution has transformed much of the way that we work, live, and play. Perhaps the most vital changes brought about by digital technologies are in the ways that we receive health care and meet our own health needs. 

Digital health uses digital tools and platforms to improve health care outcomes, whether it be by providing personalized patient care in person, expanding access to health care through mobile apps, or using neural networks to diagnose diseases. Digital health encompasses all of these areas – and more. 

In this article, you’ll learn more about this fascinating field that has the potential to greatly improve medical outcomes, find a list of jobs common to it, and explore the role of digital health in different professional environments. You’ll also find suggested courses that might just offer a path that turns your interest into a career.

What is digital health? 

Digital health is the use of digital technologies for health care purposes. The field encompasses a wide variety of digital health technologies and subfields, including:

• Health information technology (IT)

• Health informatics

• Wearable medical devices

• Virtual prescriptions

• Software as medical device (SaMD)

• Personalized medicine

• Mobile health (mHealth)

• Telemedicine

• Telehealth

According to the 2020 Canadian digital health survey, 90 per cent of Canadians reported being satisfied with their experience with virtual medical care [1].

Perhaps unsurprisingly, then, the field is quickly growing. According to a 2021 study conducted by Statista, the global market for digital health is projected to grow from 175 billion in 2019 to nearly 660 billion in 2025 [2]. This exponential expansion is a testament to both the increased need for quality health care and the ever-expanding reach of digital technologies. 

Digital health jobs

Pairing digital technology with health care requires numerous specialized professionals. Some of the most common jobs in the digital health care space include:

1. Software engineers

2. Web developers

3. Data scientists

4. Product engineers

5. Biomedical engineers

6. UX designers

Digital health examples 

Whether we realize it or not, many of us use digital health technologies every day. Wearable devices like Fitbits or smartwatches, for example, provide users with continual updates on their activity, such as their step count or heart rate. This technology provides users with important health information that has the potential to improve their individual health. 

Benefits of digital health 

Digital health uses the power of digital technologies, such as advanced analytics, to achieve health care goals. As a result, the field has the opportunity to positively impact everyone from patients to health care providers and professionals. Some of the most common benefits include: 

• Expanded access to health care to historically marginalized communities

• Decreased health care costs for both patients and providers

• Improved patient health outcomes through personalized treatment plans 

• Increased operation efficiency at health facilities, such as hospitals

• Improved diagnosis through machine learning algorithms

Understanding digital health: regulatory and health care environment

While digital technology has improved health care delivery and outcomes, it’s also greatly altered the health care industry as a whole. In this new landscape, entrepreneurs and developers have encountered new regulations imposed by Health Canada and health care professionals have had to adapt to new technologies. 

Regulatory environment 

To create guidelines for digital health technologies and protect patients, Health Canada established a “Regulatory Review of Drugs and Devices” initiative that allows for a more comprehensive review of emerging technologies. This division is within the Therapeutic Products Directorate’s Medical Devices Bureau and focuses on keeping standards of medical devices and care high through careful inspection, here are some:

• Wireless medical devices

• Mobile medical apps

• Telemedicine practices

• SaMD

• Medical device interoperability

For professionals entering this field, be prepared to adhere to ongoing regulations and stay aware of the regulatory landscape.

Health care environment 

Professionals working in health care today should expect to become acquainted with new digital health technologies more routinely than in the past. While some professionals might be reluctant to adopt new technologies, others might see it as an opportunity to improve their own health services and their patients’ treatment plans. 

Explore digital health 

Health care is a growing and ever-changing field. Whether you’re hoping to start a health care career or are already an established professional, you might consider taking an online, flexible course to gain relevant skills to stay ahead of the curve. 

Imperial College London’s Digital Health Specialization introduces learners to the role and application of digital technologies in public health and health care globally and the design, development, implementation and evaluation of digital health interventions.

Northeastern’s MS in Management: Digital Transformation in Healthcare, meanwhile, teaches cutting-edge skills that can turn courser takers into high-impact digital change agents leading innovation as a manager in the health care field.