DHT #2: The TWO questions that must be ANSWERED before you EMBRACE Digital Health Technology
Since defining digital health technology, I am being nagged by this thought saying “the world of health merging with technology is far beyond garbage in garbage out.”
I realized it will take a level of understanding and sequencing to push out information that will be clear, concise and consumable.
This is why we have to answer two important questions before embracing digital health technology.
This morning, I was at a medical centre in Ilorin, Kwara state called Centre Igboro which is more like a children specialist hospital for a certain business in line with haematology.
I have a degree in physiology from the University of Ilorin so I am a bit conversant with many of the ups and downs in the medical field.
Despite my great dislike for the thought of being a medical doctor, falling in love with technology has made it possible to merge physiology with technology.
I decided to study information technology as a prospective postgraduate student at the National Open University in Nigeria.
This what will bring me to answer the first question:
"Who is digital health technology for?"
If I am to answer for the general populace, I will say "Everybody" but everybody in the dictionary of the elite is a very clear route to "NOBODY."
In the business of life, there is always something called Target audience and this post is to make clear the target audience for the digital health technology market.
The Digital Health market is targeted at 3 categories of people...
- Health care users
- Health service providers
- Health system
Using a funnel system,
the top of the funnel is the health care user, followed by the healthcare service providers and finally at the decision making end which will, in turn, affect all of the work done from the top of the funnel is the health care system itself.
Imagine having access to healthcare through telemedicine.
Healthcare Users
You will overcome the physical barriers of accessing helath care services through remote consultation just like the case of MaHealth in Nigeria.
For the health care users, telemedicine which is a branch of digital health technology will be promoting the idea of getting quality health service from time to time which will, in turn, improve health outcomes produced by health care providers.
I believe that digital health just like digital wealth is at the helm of making sure that your life and its outcome will be in your hands as you can monitor your daily activities and their impact on your life using wearable devices.
Healthcare Service Providers
As a Doctor, think about being able to monitor your patient vital signs through the use of a medical wearable device like the Apple wristwatch connected to your device.
The balance here is the access to the right information at the right place and the right time.
As a health care provider, it will support agile decision making even in times of emergency.
In the long term, it will involve quality health information circulating in the circles working together like the health care users, their families, and the service providers for quality health outcomes.
Healthcare System
I was speaking with the director of a haematology centre when we talked about the nonchalance of many health workers.
I have witnessed for hand at all levels this irresponsibility as there is no system to keep them in check.
The Healthcare System though at the bottom is always and will always control every part of health care.
In my few years on earth, proper systems help to bring about scalable success.
For healthcare systems, Digital Health Technology will improve the functioning of the health care system which affect the health care provider and health care user at large.
This will bring us to the second question we must answer that says:
What is Digital Health Technology Aiming For?
As a market that will affect all and sundry, there should be a goal right?
From my research, DHT is aimed at some health care complex and diverse situations like;
- Preventing disease,
- Helping patients monitor and manage chronic conditions,
- Lowering the cost of healthcare provision, and
- Making medicine more tailored to individual needs.
This aim isn’t only interesting but lofty because it will;
- Benefit health care users because they get to enjoy longer health
But higher potential in benefitting the healthcare providers as well as the healthcare system.
I know you want to know what I am driving at and here it is...
...The providers get to do focused work when they can identify new illnesses and the worsening of the existing ones.
...The health care system get to do more work while exerting less energy making sure there is always time to be well prepared for what is coming and what is to come.
Overall, the good thing is technology merging with the health care industry is recession-proof.
I won’t lie because I know it is very expensive but to cut costs, the use of technology will be more helpful in our shift from treating diseases to preventing them.
