Recent Developments in Medical Digital Transformation (DX) in Otorhinolaryngology

ABSTRACT

Digital transformation (DX) was proposed by Stolterman, who contended that the development of information technology could provide us with a good life. Recently, medical DX has progressed rapidly based on the key trends of big data, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud technology, and next-generation communication. Emerging digital technologies are expected to change the face of otolaryngologic medical care. We summarized recent developments in medical DX in the field of otorhinolaryngology, especially over the last 2-3 years. Big data includes information about insurance receipts, electronic medical records, patients, registry, and health records. Medical AI programs provide automatic interpretations of endoscopic images, CT images, voice data, etc., to assist in the diagnosis of diseases by machine learning of the inputs gathered from a large amount of data. Telemedicine using the next-generation communication technology 5G is found to be useful to provide consultation for patients with upper respiratory symptoms in this COVID-19 pandemic era. Mobile health includes wearable devices and applications on the smartphone. Medical DX is expected to present better medicine for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and welfare of patients in the field of otorhinolaryngology. © 2023 Society of Practical Otolaryngology. All rights reserved.