Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Dec 3:2020:8830200.
doi: 10.1155/2020/8830200. eCollection 2020.

The Recent Progress and Applications of Digital Technologies in Healthcare: A Review

Maksut Senbekov  1 , Timur Saliev  1 , Zhanar Bukeyeva  2 , Aigul Almabayeva  2 , Marina Zhanaliyeva  2 , Nazym Aitenova  2 , Yerzhan Toishibekov  3 , Ildar Fakhradiyev  1
Affiliations
Review

The Recent Progress and Applications of Digital Technologies in Healthcare: A Review

Maksut Senbekov et al. Int J Telemed Appl. .

Abstract

Background: The implementation of medical digital technologies can provide better accessibility and flexibility of healthcare for the public. It encompasses the availability of open information on the health, treatment, complications, and recent progress on biomedical research. At present, even in low-income countries, diagnostic and medical services are becoming more accessible and available. However, many issues related to digital health technologies remain unmet, including the reliability, safety, testing, and ethical aspects.

Purpose: The aim of the review is to discuss and analyze the recent progress on the application of big data, artificial intelligence, telemedicine, block-chain platforms, smart devices in healthcare, and medical education. Basic Design. The publication search was carried out using Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Sciences, Medline, Wiley Online Library, and CrossRef databases. The review highlights the applications of artificial intelligence, "big data," telemedicine and block-chain technologies, and smart devices (internet of things) for solving the real problems in healthcare and medical education. Major Findings. We identified 252 papers related to the digital health area. However, the number of papers discussed in the review was limited to 152 due to the exclusion criteria. The literature search demonstrated that digital health technologies became highly sought due to recent pandemics, including COVID-19. The disastrous dissemination of COVID-19 through all continents triggered the need for fast and effective solutions to localize, manage, and treat the viral infection. In this regard, the use of telemedicine and other e-health technologies might help to lessen the pressure on healthcare systems. Summary. Digital platforms can help optimize diagnosis, consulting, and treatment of patients. However, due to the lack of official regulations and recommendations, the stakeholders, including private and governmental organizations, are facing the problem with adequate validation and approbation of novel digital health technologies. In this regard, proper scientific research is required before a digital product is deployed for the healthcare sector.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no competing interests to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Scheme of main applications of digital technologies in healthcare.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Flow chart summarizing the search process and results.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The applications of telemedicine in healthcare.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Summary of applications of digital health technologies discussed in the review.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Mitchell M., Kan L. Digital technology and the future of health systems. Health Systems & Reform. 2019;5(2):113–120. doi: 10.1080/23288604.2019.1583040. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Sayani S., Muzammil M., Saleh K. Addressing cost and time barriers in chronic disease management through telemedicine: an exploratory research in select low-and middle-income countries. Therapeutic Advances in Chronic Disease. 2019;10 doi: 10.1177/2040622319891587. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sandberg C. E. J., Knight S. R., Qureshi A. U., Pathak S. Using telemedicine to diagnose surgical site infections in low- and middle-income countries: systematic review. Jmir Mhealth and Uhealth. 2019;7(8, article e13309) doi: 10.2196/13309. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kohler J. E., Falcone R. A., Fallat M. E. Rural health, telemedicine and access for pediatric surgery. Current Opinion in Pediatrics. 2019;31(3):391–398. doi: 10.1097/MOP.0000000000000763. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Lapointe L., Lavallee-Bourget M. H., Pichard-Jolicoeur A., Turgeon-Pelchat C., Fleet R. Impact of telemedicine on diagnosis, clinical management and outcomes in rural trauma patients: a rapid review. Canadian Journal of Rural Medicine. 2020;25(1):31–40. doi: 10.4103/CJRM.CJRM_8_19. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources