Digital health in support of medical profession

ABSTRACT

Digital technologies are transforming society and our way of life. The Covid- 19 emergency has further accelerated this transformation, making available remote services that have replaced those we used to use in presence. This transformation has given a further boost to digital health. Many services for telemedicine in all its forms (remote televisit, telehealth, telerehabilitation, telemonitoring) are now available and in some cases can be prescribed and reimbursed by national health systems or insurance companies. Apps and wearables are increasingly used to collect health data and can help promote healthy lifestyles, disseminate information for the prevention and management of certain diseases, involve the patient in treatment, and improve adherence to therapy and doctor-patient communication. Digital therapeutics, providing software that modify lifestyles and deliver cognitive-behavioural interventions, offer therapeutic interventions based on solid scientific evidence to prevent, manage, or treat a wide range of physical, mental and behavioural conditions. Artificial intelligence and machine learning systems help to analyse and interpret data produced in the medical field to create diagnostic and predictive systems, systems for defining the best treatment to administer to a patient, and systems for identifying new drugs. It is essential, however, that digital health tools be rigorously tested and regulated before widespread adoption, as is the case with normal medical devices and drug therapies.