Evolution of Digital Health: What has changed and what do we expect?

by Pedro Vergara, December 11, 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic created a “before” and an “after” in many areas, without a doubt including Digital Health. The pandemic conditions promoted telemedicine, like other digital tools, as the best answer to reducing physical contact and the burden on hospitals, while maintaining medical care. As a result, these solutions found a place in healthcare models, and ceased to be simply a supplemental service, such that during 2021, 71.6% of Spaniards received medical care via telemedicine.

As the intensity of the pandemic began to diminish, the need to transition to more comprehensive tools was identified. These tools would enable personalized care and treatment, access to real-time data, and a reduction in the use of healthcare resources, among other benefits. Providers began to opt for more sophisticated digital solutions, using those which they had previously employed, but also taking advantage of the momentum generated by the massive use of technology. The use of digital platforms for remote patient monitoring began to grow exponentially, and other more innovative solutions were developed, like Digital Therapeutics (DTx), solutions based on Artificial Intelligence (AI), etc.

To begin with the remote patient monitoring platforms, these have seen a huge surge over the past few years. In 2023, 76.7 million people around the world used them, and it is expected that this number will grow to 140.1 million by 2028. These tools gather and process data in real time, both actively and passively, by means of wearables and mobile devices, enabling the healthcare professional to take preventive actions and reduce complications related to the disease. Thanks to their use, we already see evidence that these remote monitoring solutions are providing a positive impact on patient safety and adherence, as well as a reduction in the use of healthcare resources.

Going a step farther, there is a gradual evolution toward more sophisticated systems like Digital Therapeutics (DTx). These provider-prescribed platforms, with validated clinical benefits, incorporate algorithms and Artificial Intelligence (AI) that enable the interpretation of collected data and the immediate generation of an action by or on behalf of the patient, in a secure manner. This allows personalization of the patients’ care based on their specific needs in real time, increasing adherence. It is expected that these platforms will continue evolving and increasing in use, as can be observed in Germany, where between their approval in September 2020 and January of 2024, 374,000 DiGA prescriptions have been activated for patient use.

Finally, if we are discussing evolution in Digital Health, we cannot omit Artificial Intelligence (AI). As we mentioned in the article, “The role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Healthcare”, we have seen a major increase in the use of this technology in all the processes involving patients. Whether for research, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or management of diseases, Artificial Intelligence has turned into an important tool, becoming a growth market. In fact, it is expected that by 2029, the Artificial Intelligence market in the healthcare sector will exceed 164 billion dollars.

As we have seen, Digital Health has evolved and changed over the past few years, from monitoring and consultation by video call, to the incorporation of Artificial Intelligence, to the appearance of DTx, etc. Current models of healthcare continue to incorporate these advanced tools to a greater degree, as they enable more careful monitoring of diseases, reduce complications, allow for greater personalization of treatment, and help to make the healthcare system more efficient. Digital Health is not just something in the future; it is part of the present, and will continue to evolve. It is important that this hybrid model, bringing together face-to-face and digital care, continue to be strengthened, always focusing on improving the health and wellbeing of the patients.