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. 2022 Jul;9(2):113-117.
doi: 10.7861/fhj.2022-0046.

Digital healthcare: the future

Charles Jt Butcher  1 , Wajid Hussain  2
Affiliations

Digital healthcare: the future

Charles Jt Butcher et al. Future Healthc J. 2022 Jul.

Abstract

Digital healthcare offers a huge range of possibilities and may improve the quality of patient care. The traditional paradigm of clinical history, examination, differential diagnosis and treatment may be improved by tools such as machine learning, mobile applications and sensors, wearables, and telehealth. The recent pandemic has accelerated the move towards this future, however, important concerns remain. These include ensuring that new technologies are assessed effectively and are introduced thoughtfully, data are unified into care records, and, ultimately, digital tools are underpinned with appropriate clinical support. Patients must benefit without worsening workload for the clinician. Old barriers may be overcome but new challenges will be faced, in particular, ensuring the promise of better care for those who lack access to smart phones and the internet will be crucial. Clinicians must continue to advocate for patients and their colleagues as we embrace the future of digital healthcare.

Keywords: GIRFT; digital health; smartphone; telehealth; wearable.

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Figures

Fig 1.
Fig 1.
Digital health: how it started, how it is going and how it could be. Three panels presenting traditional care (‘How it started’), current care (‘How it is going’) and a possible future care (‘How it could be’) paradigm.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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