This technology helps to: reduce inefficiencies in healthcare delivery; improve access to healthcare; reduce healthcare costs; make health services more person-centred; increase quality of healthcare; and personalize medicine for each patient’s unique needs.
Digitalization or digital health, or digital healthcare is a broad, multidisciplinary concept that converges technology and healthcare. It incorporates software, hardware as well as services and includes mobile health apps, electronic health records, electronic medical records, wearable devices, telehealth/ telemedicine, as well as personalized medicine.
Telemedicine is the use of electronic communication technology (computers, video, phone, audio, messaging) by a medical professional to provide and deliver healthcare services (diagnosis, exams, treatment and consultations) remotely.
Electronic health records are systematized collections of patient and population electronically-stored health information in a digital format. These records can be shared across different healthcare settings.
Digitalization has been identified as one of the most promising approaches to address health challenges in modern societies through improved access to healthcare services, especially those in hard-to-reach areas. This has been observed in some cases during the COVID-19 pandemic, where for instance, telemedicine allowed patients to receive care at home. In this case, it helped limit the spread of COVID-19, especially in overcrowded emergency places or waiting rooms; improved safety and quality of healthcare services and products; improved knowledge and access of health workers and communities to health information like WhatsApp messaging platforms providing health alerts in different languages; and cost savings and efficiencies in health services delivery.
The African Union recommended the use of digitalization in the African region, according to WHO report. In 2017, WHO Regional Office for Africa partnered with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to scale up digital health uptake in the region. This agreement focused on establishing platforms for interoperability, building the capacity of the digital health workforce, digital health partnerships, and usage of digital health medical devices. There has been an increase in development and use of mobile telephony, mobile broadband penetration rate and individual internet users. There’s still need to adopt, develop offline applications for use.
According to WHO’s document on Framework for implementing the Global Strategy, digitalization could contribute to the sustainable attainment of universal health coverage if there is an appropriate digital health governance framework. Also, if it is implemented within the broader framework of resilient health systems.
There is a need for coordinated approaches to the rapid and wide-scale roll out of these technologies. This could be attained by establishing strong regional and national governance, having regulatory and coordination mechanisms, and developing appropriate policies, strategies, guidelines and toolkits.
It is imperative to bridge the communication gap by engaging and training communities and addressing knowledge gaps to manage and maintain the digitalization architecture and infrastructure.
On ongoing work across some African countries, the use of drones as a tool to deliver blood supplies has been successfully piloted in Rwanda. The use of rapid SMS systems for community mobilization to facilitate immediate widespread distribution of information. On the other hand, mobile devices are now used widely and is a primary driver for research and investment in digitalization efforts across low- and middle-income countries.
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Email: info@afidep.org
Malawi Office
Petroda Glasshouse, Area 14 – plot number 14/191
P.O Box 31024, Lilongwe 3, Malawi
Telephone: +265 995 495 143
Email: info@afidep.org
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