EMA's COOKE REVIEWS EUROPEAN CANCER PROSPECTS

Late January saw Emer Cooke, the new executive director of the European Medicines Agency, fresh from a tough debate on vaccines in the European Parliament's health committee, switch her attention to cancer, with an appearance at another of the parliament's specialized committees. [...]she had some clear ideas on how this should be done, with a powerful emphasis on patient benefit as a priority. "To do this we need to leverage the resources for conducting high quality research in Europe." Better communication could also decrease time lags and differences of view between approval decisions by regulators and access decisions by health technology assessment bodies.

Use of Digital Health Technology Among Older Adults With Cancer in the United States: Findings From a National Longitudinal Cohort Study (2015-2021).

BACKGROUND: Despite the benefits of digital health technology use, older adults with cancer (ie, aged 65 years) have reported challenges to technology adoption. However, there has been a lack of a good understanding of their digital health technology use patterns and the associated influential factors in the past few years. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the trends in and factors associated with digital health technology use among older adults with cancer. METHODS: The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) data set is a national longitudinal cohort study with annual survey waves of Medicare beneficiaries 65 years and older. Participants were community-dwelling older adults who self-reported previous or current cancer diagnoses in each round. The study sample size of each round ranged from 1996 (2015) to 1131 (2021). Digital health technology use was defined as using the internet or online in the last month to order or refill prescriptions, contact medical providers, handle Medicare or other insurance matters, or get information about their health conditions. The association of sociodemographics, clinical factors (self-rated health, chronic conditions, difficulties in activities of daily living, dementia, anxiety, and depression), and physical function (Short Physical Performance Battery and grip strength) with digital health technology use was examined using design-based logistic regression. All statistical analyses accounted for the complex sample design. RESULTS: The prevalence of any digital health technology use increased from 36% in 2015 to 45% in 2019. In 2020-2021, which was amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it ranged from 51% to 52%. In terms of each digital health technology use behavior, in 2015, overall, 28% of older cancer survivors used digital health technology to obtain health information, followed by contacting clinicians (19%), filling prescriptions (14%), and handling insurance (11%). Greater use of digital health technology was associated with younger age, being White, having a college or higher education, having a higher income, having more comorbidities, nondementia, and having a higher gait speed. CONCLUSIONS: Digital health technology use in older adults with cancer has gradually increased, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, socioeconomic and racial disparities have remained in older cancer survivors. Additionally, older adults with cancer may have some unique features associated with digital health technology use; for example, their use of digital health may be increased by their comorbidities (ie, health care needs) and reduced by their frailty.

A review of HTA guidelines on societal and novel value elements.

OBJECTIVES: Health technology assessment (HTA) organizations vary in terms of how they conduct assessments. We assess whether and to what extent HTA bodies have adopted societal and novel elements of value in their economic evaluations. METHODS: After categorizing "societal" and "novel" elements of value, we reviewed fifty-three HTA guidelines. We collected data on whether each guideline mentioned each societal or novel element of value, and if so, whether the guideline recommended the element's inclusion in the base case, sensitivity analysis, or qualitative discussion in the HTA. RESULTS: The HTA guidelines mention on average 5.9 of the twenty-one societal and novel value elements we identified (range 0-16), including 2.3 of the ten societal elements and 3.3 of the eleven novel value elements. Only four value elements (productivity, family spillover, equity, and transportation) appear in over half of the HTA guidelines, whereas thirteen value elements are mentioned in fewer than one-sixth of the guidelines, and two elements receive no mention. Most guidelines do not recommend value element inclusion in the base case, sensitivity analysis, or qualitative discussion in the HTA. CONCLUSIONS: Ideally, more HTA organizations will adopt guidelines for measuring societal and novel value elements, including analytic considerations. Importantly, simply recommending in guidelines that HTA bodies consider novel elements may not lead to their incorporation into assessments or ultimate decision making.

Building a Clinical Team in a Large Technology Company

Technical innovations over the past 20 years have changed the way we live many parts of our daily lives, but there is resounding agreement that progress in health care has not kept pace. While many believe that technology will improve health outcomes, there is a real and persistent concern that technology companies do not understand the complexity of health and health care. This challenge is usually discussed as an either/or problem. Either technology companies must disrupt the way that health care works, or they won't succeed because they will never understand the real world of health and health care. The authors believe that there is a third way - one that establishes a robust, thriving clinical team within a major technology company that brings a deep understanding of the current health care system to bear and a passion to make real improvements. However, clinical teams represent new functions for technology companies, and so they also represent a cultural shift. This article summarizes several years of experience building Google's clinical team, and later adapting it during Covid-19, to offer six lessons for organizations embarking on similar journeys. © Copyright 2023 Massachusetts Medical Society. Massachusetts Medical Society.

Exploring the COVID-19 Pandemic's Impact on the Health Technology Assessment Process of the National Commission for the Incorporation of Technologies Into the Brazilian Health System.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Brazilian health technology assessment processes based on public reports from the National Committee for Health Technology Incorporation (CONITEC). METHODS: This descriptive study analyzed CONITEC's official reports on Brazil available on its website between 2018 and 2021 that aimed to propose recommendations for technologies to be incorporated into its public healthcare system. We used descriptive statistics covering the number of technologies and number of reports about drugs per year, objective, type of technology, demanding sector, and outcome before 2018 to 2019 and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021). Furthermore, we used logistic regression to explore any association between the final decision labeled as "incorporated" and the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: A total of 278 reports were analyzed. Approximately 85% (136 of 278), 79% (220 of 278), and 45% of the reports (125 of 278) were about drugs, for incorporation, and requested by the government, respectively. Moreover, 74 of 130 (57%) and 56 of 148 decisions (38%) were "incorporated" before and during the pandemic, respectively. No significant association was noted between incorporated decisions and the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic for all technologies (odds ratio 1.43; 95% CI 0.84-2.46; P = .192) and for drugs (odds ratio 1.43; 95% confidence interval 0.81-2.53; P = .223) while adjusting for the type of technology and demandant. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many challenges, but it does not seem to have had a significant impact on the health technology assessment approval decisions of CONITEC in Brazil.

Comparing the Use of a Mobile App and a Web-Based Notification Platform for Surveillance of Adverse Events Following Influenza Immunization: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Vaccine safety surveillance is a core component of vaccine pharmacovigilance. In Canada, active, participant-centered vaccine surveillance is available for influenza vaccines and has been used for COVID-19 vaccines. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of using a mobile app for reporting participant-centered seasonal influenza adverse events following immunization (AEFIs) compared to a web-based notification system. METHODS: Participants were randomized to influenza vaccine safety reporting via a mobile app or a web-based notification platform. All participants were invited to complete a user experience survey. RESULTS: Among the 2408 randomized participants, 1319 (54%) completed their safety survey 1 week after vaccination, with a higher completion rate among the web-based notification platform users (767/1196, 64%) than among mobile app users (552/1212, 45%; P<.001). Ease-of-use ratings were high for the web-based notification platform users (99% strongly agree or agree) and 88.8% of them strongly agreed or agreed that the system made reporting AEFIs easier. Web-based notification platform users supported the statement that a web-based notification-only approach would make it easier for public health professionals to detect vaccine safety signals (91.4%, agreed or strongly agreed). CONCLUSIONS: Participants in this study were significantly more likely to respond to a web-based safety survey rather than within a mobile app. These results suggest that mobile apps present an additional barrier for use compared to the web-based notification-only approach. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05794113; https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT05794113.

Wearables, Telemedicine and the Future of Health in Brazil: New Trends in Health Technologies to Face Pandemics

This paper aims to reflect on the future of the right to healthcare access in Brazil under the influence of new technologies. To this end, it examines the effectiveness of using specific modalities of health technology - telemedicine and wearables - in pandemic contexts. By proposing the use of these health technologies, in compliance with constitutional legislation, it investigates the fulfillment of the duty of the State to guarantee the right to healthcare access and to ensure economic balance. The study is supported by descriptive research with bibliographic and documental basis, theoretically grounded on scientific articles published in journals, as well as economic and sanitation data on the pandemics publicized by national and international agencies, and interpreted from a critical approach. The scarcity of publications on the subject, as well as the absence of specific regulations and the continuation of the pandemic represent a limitation of the research. The innovation of the subject may be a contribution of this article to science, as it encourages new research. Based on the Economic Analysis of Law, the interpretation of the collected data has shown that new health technologies are effective mechanisms in the implementation of the right to healthcare access and in guaranteeing the economic order in pandemic contexts, since remote care, without physical contact, reduces the risk of both health system collapse and economic recession.

Redesigning Chronic Care delivery using Mobile Health Technology

Typical management of chronic conditions is through sporadic office visits. But health indicators (such as blood pressure) can fluctuate significantly within a day. The infrequent office visits, however, offer the provider little information about the medical history of the patient between office visits resulting in delayed and sometimes inappropriate interventions. Use of mobile health (mHealth) technology in clinical care can help make appropriate interventions at the patient's location before the worsening condition leads to costlier consequences. mHealth enables patients to remotely upload measurements and providers to continuously monitor these measurements and intervene if necessary. mHealth, therefore, results in bidirectional information flow between providers and patients, thereby reducing information asymmetry. Our study examines redesigning of chronic care delivery using mHealth. It is important to make sure the redesigned delivery process is both efficient (reduces cost) and effective (improves patient health). In this paper, we first present a big picture of the redesigned care delivery process. We then show how this delivery process can improve patient health by analyzing a panel dataset of 1627 patients. We examine the relationship between use of mobile health applications and quality of care delivery for hypertensive patients. We observe the blood pressure readings to decrease with frequency of app usage and time since adoption. With the use of mHealth apps increasing in the post COVID-19 era, our analysis indicates an efficient use of physician's time and an increased role for support-staff under the supervision of the physician. The chronic care delivery process can therefore be redesigned with the help of mHealth, improving patient health and reducing cost for both patients and providers. © 2023 IEEE Computer Society. All rights reserved.

A qualitative study on the feasibility and acceptability of institutionalizing health technology assessment in Malawi.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of institutionalizing Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in Malawi. METHODS: This study employed a document review and qualitative research methods, to understand the status of HTA in Malawi. This was complemented by a review of the status and nature of HTA institutionalization in selected countries.Qualitative research employed a Focus Group Discussion (FGD ) with 7 participants, and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with12 informants selected based on their knowledge and expertise in policy processes related to HTA in Malawi.Data extracted from the literature was organized in Microsoft Excel, categorized according to thematic areas and analyzed using a literature review framework. Qualitative data from KIIs and the FGD was analyzed using a thematic content analysis approach. RESULTS: Some HTA processes exist and are executed through three structures namely: Ministry of Health Senior Management Team, Technical Working Groups, and Pharmacy and Medicines Regulatory Authority (PMRA) with varyingdegrees of effectiveness.The main limitations of current HTA mechanisms include limited evidence use, lack of a standardized framework for technology adoption, donor pressure, lack of resources for the HTA process and technology acquisition, laws and practices that undermine cost-effectiveness considerations. KII and FGD results showed overwhelming demand for strengthening HTA in Malawi, with a stronger preference for strengthening coordination and capacity of existing entities and structures. CONCLUSION: The study has shown that HTA institutionalization is acceptable and feasible in Malawi. However, the current committee based processes are suboptimal to improve efficiency due to lack of a structured framework. A structured HTA framework has the potential to improve processes in pharmaceuticals and medical technologies decision-making.In the short to medium term, HTA capacity building should focus on generating demand and increasing capacity in cost-effectiveness assessments. Country-specific assessments should precede HTA institutionalization as well as recommendations for new technology adoptions.

Regulatory, health technology assessment and company interactions: the current landscape and future ecosystem for drug development, review and reimbursement.

BACKGROUND: Multi-stakeholder interactions have evolved at product and policy levels. There is a need to assess the current and future landscape of interactions between companies, and regulatory and HTA agencies to address challenges and identify areas for improvement. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to review the current interactions within and across regulatory and HTA agencies, and companies' experiences in engaging in these activities; to assess the added value of interactions as well as limitations; to explore the future ecosystem for stakeholder interactions. METHOD: Three separate questionnaires were developed for companies, regulators and HTA agencies, respectively, to assess their experiences and perceptions. The responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and discussed at a multi-stakeholder workshop. Key outcomes from the surveys and workshop discussion were reported. RESULTS: All seven regulators and seven HTA agencies in the survey indicated that they had stakeholder interactions. More formal collaboration occurred with regulators compared with HTA agencies. All nine companies have taken early advice but indicated the need for future prioritization. Success indicators can be built at the product and therapy levels, with the added value of faster patient access. Four principles were proposed for the future ecosystem: separate remit and functions between regulators and HTA; align processes; converge evidence requirements where possible; increase transparency. CONCLUSIONS: This research brought together regulators, HTA agencies, companies to examine how they interact with one another. We propose measures of value and make recommendations on future evolution to enable better evidence generation and improve regulatory and HTA decision-making.

Care Robotics: An Assessment of Professional Perception in the Face of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 crisis accelerated the adoption of technologies. Technological advancement is also expected in robotics applied to any sector, including in healthcare. The aim is to assess the professional perception of care robotics facing COVID-19. This study aimed to (1) select a tool for assessing different aspects of healthcare, (2) analyse the professional perception about the development, usefulness and helpfulness of technologies and robotics in the field of healthcare and (3) evaluate the correlation between the perceived helpfulness of care robotics and the selected tool. We implement five validated clinical tests which integrate 80 items about a person and their clinical situation. From the sample of 46 professionals, 95.65% affirmed that technology was moderately to completely useful for professional performance in the context of the pandemic, lowering to 67.39% when asked only about robotics; 93.48% stated that the inclusion of robotics in at least one health area affected by COVID-19 would have helped them. Finally, the variables extracted from clinical tests corresponded to the most relevant health areas as identified by the professionals. This research shows the potential of care robotics oriented towards healthcare from a care paradigm.

Prevalence of Online Fatigue during COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study on Academicians of Rawalpindi

ABSTRACT Objective: To determine prevalence of online fatigue among academicians and to analyse factors associated with online fatigue. Study Design: Analytical, cross-sectional study. Place and During of Study: The study was conducted online from Nov 2021 to Apr 2022 on academicians belonging to educational institutions and teaching hospitals of Rawalpindi Pakistan. Methodology: One hundred fifty academicians, aged 20-75 years, belonging to Rawalpindi were enrolled through snowball sampling. Data was collected online by using google forms. A validated questionnaire having an online fatigue scale was used. Partial responses were excluded. Qualitative variables were expressed as frequency and percentage while quantitative variables were expressed as mean and S.D. Chi-square test was applied. Results: Out of 150 academics, 72(48%) were males and 78(52%) were females. Mean age of participants was 32±9.4 years. Amongst the study participants 27(18%), 67(44.7%), 50(33.3%) and 6(4%) suffered from mild, moderate, severe and extreme online fatigue respectively. The degree of online fatigue was found to be significantly associated with female gender (p=0.000), older age (p=0.005) and higher level of education (p=0.002). Association of online fatigue with factors such as workplace (p=0.054), residence (p=0.129) and amount of technology usage (p=0.995) was found to be statistically insignificant. Conclusions: Our study showed that online fatigue was prevalent among the academic community of Rawalpindi, especially females. Online fatigue can be reduced by training the academicians about work-life balance and updating their knowledge on practical technology.

Prevalence of Online Fatigue during COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study on Academicians of Rawalpindi

Objective: To determine prevalence of online fatigue among academicians and to analyse factors associated with online fatigue. Study Design: Analytical, cross-sectional study. Place and During of Study: The study was conducted online from Nov 2021 to Apr 2022 on academicians belonging to educational institutions and teaching hospitals of Rawalpindi Pakistan. Methodology: One hundred fifty academicians, aged 20-75 years, belonging to Rawalpindi were enrolled through snowball sampling. Data was collected online by using google forms. A validated questionnaire having an online fatigue scale was used. Partial responses were excluded. Qualitative variables were expressed as frequency and percentage while quantitative variables were expressed as mean and S.D. Chi-square test was applied. Results: Out of 150 academics, 72(48%) were males and 78(52%) were females. Mean age of participants was 32±9.4 years. Amongst the study participants 27(18%), 67(44.7%), 50(33.3%) and 6(4%) suffered from mild, moderate, severe and extreme online fatigue respectively. The degree of online fatigue was found to be significantly associated with female gender (p=0.000), older age (p=0.005) and higher level of education (p=0.002). Association of online fatigue with factors such as workplace (p=0.054), residence (p=0.129) and amount of technology usage (p=0.995) was found to be statistically insignificant. Conclusions: Our study showed that online fatigue was prevalent among the academic community of Rawalpindi, especially females. Online fatigue can be reduced by training the academicians about work-life balance and updating their knowledge on practical technology. © 2022, Army Medical College. All rights reserved.

Rethinking the improvisation of digital health technology: A niche construction perspective

The COVID-19 pandemic has sent shock waves through healthcare organisations and catalysed an impromptu digital shift, creating a demand for telemedicine and other digital health technologies. Under such conditions, improvisation, adaptation, and innovation emerge as core dimensions to an organisation's capacity to generate a response to crisis. This paper integrates a process perspective on the radical improvisation of a digital health technology and investigates how the radical improvisation of a digital health technology emerges and develops during a health crisis. Through a combination of supporting case evidence and literature, a multi-phase conceptual process model anchored in the crisis management cycle and illustrating the radical improvisation of digital health technology is developed and proposed. We conclude with discussion on the long-term implications of radical improvisation and crisis learning, with possible theoretical explanation using niche construction theory, and providing suggestions for future information systems and crisis management research © The Author(s) 2022. (Copyright notice)

Community transformed? Exploring the interaction between online support and rural community life for people with acute mental health conditions

Since the onset of COVID-19, the benefits of online platforms to enhance rural service accessibility are more acknowledged. However, questions remain about the interconnected roles of geographical community and online digital communities in enhancing rural life – particularly for marginalised groups. In this study, we examine one Australian non-profit's online peer support forums as technology enabling transformed community experiences for rural people with mental health conditions. Interviews exploring forum use were conducted with 20 rural forum users in 2021. We found technology affordances were appropriated to target rural service and social interaction gaps, giving people resources used online, and also enabling coping in their geographical community. The study illustrates the benefits of understanding what rural people do with different technologies that can illuminate how apparently "one-size-fits-all” technologies can be appropriated to fill certain rural structural holes in social and service systems. © 2023

COVID-19 Risk Prediction and Contact Tracing

The emergence of the coronavirus COVID- 19 switched the limelight onto digital health technologies. To help the infection rates from surging, numerous governments are looking into applications that could help disrupt infection chains beforehand. We created a Self-Assessment Test using COVID Symptoms, that's capable of assessing the threat of COVID- 19 in the user using ML. The data also tracks the user and gives safety tips and recommendations. Using the Track Module, the user is notified of the nearby containment zones. The contact tracing module helps the user to maintain a specified distance from others. © 2022 IEEE.

Digital technologies as sources of information for patients and caregivers during COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey.

Background: The emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had a significant impact on the global economy, society, and healthcare systems. Little is known about the role of digital technologies as sources of information for patients and informal caregivers during COVID-19 pandemic. Considering the substantial information needs experienced by informal caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic, further understanding of caregivers' use of digital technologies to access COVID-19 information is needed. Objective: The aim of this study is to identify associations between informal caregiver's characteristics and the use of digital technologies to seek COVID-19 information in two countries with two different care systems: Italy (family based care system) and Sweden (universal care system) in order to determine whether factors such as demographics, socioeconomic resources, and the caregiving context may influence caregivers' use of these technologies during the pandemic. Methods: A sample of 500 respondents participated in a cross-sectional survey by completing the online questionnaire. Respondents were recruited by the Italian National Institute of Health and Science on Ageing and the Swedish Family Care Competence Centre. Logistic regression model was used to investigate the association between the use of digital technologies to seek COVID-19 information and the independent variables. Results: The multivariate analysis for the Italian sample indicated that female caregivers had two times the odds of use of digital technologies compared with males (p = 0.010, 95% CI 1.191 to 3.701). The odds of use were 2.3 times higher when the level of dependency of the care recipient on the caregiver is low compared with a high level of dependency (p = 0.029, 95% CI 1.090 to 4.858). In the Swedish group, respondents who spent less than 10 h per week providing care were almost three times more likely to use digital technologies as opposed to those who dedicate more than 40 h per week to care provision (p = 0.039, 95% CI 0.133 to 0.951). Caregivers in the age group 40-59 years were 2.7 times more likely to use digital technologies in comparison with those of the age group 60 + years (p = 0.033, 95% CI 1.083 to 6.494). Perceiving a lack of awareness about available online resources that support caregivers in their role during the pandemic was the top challenge mentioned by the participants in both countries in using digital technologies to access information during the pandemic. The study revealed that the most used sources of online COVID-19 information for Italian caregivers were social media platforms and mobile apps, while in the case of the Swedish caregivers, online portals and apps published by state, regional, or municipal authorities were the most used sources. Italian participants in the study perceived less reliability in the online COVID-19 information than their Swedish counterparts. Conclusions: Digital technologies are used by patients and their caregivers to seek information relevant to the pandemic. Because digital technologies are becoming a popular and accessible information source, medical professionals should consider the differences between caregivers' age groups when delivering information online. Strategies aiming to address the spread of misinformation on social media and online platforms are needed to fight infodemic. Governments should consider innovative policies that promote formal certification of online platforms and apps on the basis of their reliability. As digitalization of healthcare systems continues, efforts are needed to ensure different populations of patients and their caregivers are supported to obtain timely accurate information that meets their needs. An inclusive approach in the digitalization of healthcare systems may reduce inequalities in access to technology. Consequently, technology itself may over time become a tool in reducing such inequalities by empowering underserved or underrepresented populations.

A comparative analysis of non-invasive prenatal testing in Ontario and Quebec: the role of governing style in health technology innovation & adoption.

BACKGROUND: While processes of adoption and the impacts of various health technologies have been extensively studied by health services and policy researchers, the influence of policy makers' governing styles on these processes have been largely neglected. Through a comparative analysis of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec, this article examines how decisions about this technology were shaped by contrasting political ideologies, resulting in vastly different innovation and adoption strategies and outcomes. METHODS: A comparative qualitative investigation comprising of a document analysis followed by semi-structured interviews with key informants. Interview participants were researchers, clinicians, and private sector medical laboratory employees based in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. Interviews were conducted both in person and virtually- owing partly to the COVID-19 pandemic - to garner perspectives regarding the adoption and innovation processes surrounding non-invasive prenatal testing in both provinces. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Through an analysis of 21 in-depth interview transcripts and key documents, the research team identified three central themes: 1) health officials in each province demonstrated a unique approach to using the existing scholarly literature on NIPT; 2) each provincial government demonstrated its own preference for service delivery, with Ontario preferring private and Quebec preferring public; and finally, 3) both Ontario and Quebec's strategies to NIPT adoption and innovation was contextualized within each province's unique financial positioning and concerns. These findings illustrate how both Quebec's nationalist focus and use of industrial policy and Ontario's 'New Public Management' style had implications for how this emerging healthcare technology was made available within each province's publicly-financed health system. CONCLUSIONS: Our study reveals how these governments' differing approaches to using data and research, public versus private service delivery, and financial goals and concerns resulted in distinct testing technologies, access, and timelines for NIPT adoption. Our analysis demonstrates the need for health policy researchers, policy makers, and others to move beyond analyses solely considering clinical and health economic evidence to understand the impact of political ideologies and governing styles.

The Use of Digital Health Services Among Patients and Citizens Living at Home: Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: The development of digital health services reflects not only the technical development of services but also a change in attitude and the way of thinking. It has become a cornerstone for engaging and activating patients and citizens in health management while living at home. Digital health services are also aimed at enhancing the efficiency and quality of services, while simultaneously providing services more cost-effectively. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated worldwide the development and use of digital services in response to requirements for social distancing and other regulations. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review is to identify and summarize how digital health services are being used among patients and citizens while living at home. METHODS: The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews was used as guidance. A search conducted in 3 databases (CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus) resulted in 419 papers. The reporting was conducted by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping review (PRISMA-ScR), and the analysis of the included papers was performed using a framework consisting of 5 clusters describing the use of digital health services. After screening and excluding papers that did not match the inclusion criteria, 88 (21%) papers from 2010 to 2022 were included in the final analysis. RESULTS: Results indicated that digital health services are used in different situations and among different kinds of populations. In most studies, digital health services were used in the form of video visits or consultations. The telephone was also used regularly for consultations. Other services, such as remote monitoring and transmitting of recorded information and the use the of internet or portals for searching information, were observed as well. Alerts, emergency systems, and reminders were observed to offer possibilities of use, for example, among older people. The digital health services also showed to have potential for use in patient education. CONCLUSIONS: The development of digital services reflects a shift toward the provision of care regardless of time and place. It also reflects a shift toward emphasis on patient-centered care, meaning activating and engaging patients in their own care as they use digital services for various health-related purposes. Despite the development of digital services, many challenges (eg, adequate infrastructure) still prevail worldwide.