Practical Insights on Digital Health

digital health solutions

What is Digital Health in Developing Countries?

Digital health is the systematic application of information and communications technologies, computer science, and data to support informed decision-making by individuals, the health workforce, and health institutions, to strengthen resilience to disease and improve health and wellness for all.

The Classification of Digital Health Interventions published by the World Health Organization (WHO) identifies over 80 digital technology use-cases for strengthening health systems, and groups them by primary target user-groups, which include the following:

  • Client-oriented technologies, such as those that provide compliance reminders for appointment and treatment, transmit health-event alerts, and/or transmit payments or vouchers;
  • Provider-oriented technologies, such as those that support the identification and registration of clients; clients’ health records; communications and decision-making for healthcare providers; referrals; planning and scheduling; training; and the management of laboratory tests and results, diagnostics, and imaging, and virtual health, including remote monitoring and telemedicine;
  • Manager-oriented technologies, such as those that support the management of human resources, supply-chains, notifications of public health events, civil registries and vital statistics, public- and private-sector health funds, and facilities; and
  • Data-services-oriented technologies, such as those that enable the collection, management, analytics, coding, exchange, interoperability, and use of data; and location-mapping.

Examples of Digital Health Solutions

Historically, the diverse communities working in digital solutions for healthcare – including government stakeholders, technologists, clinicians, implementers, network operators, researchers, donors – have lacked a mutually understandable language with which to assess and articulate functionality.

As described in the draft WHO 2020–2024 Global Strategy, the term “digital health” refers to “the field of knowledge and practice associated with any aspect of adopting digital technologies to improve health,” and incorporates the subdomains of eHealth, medical informatics, health informatics, telemedicine, telehealth and mHealth, as well as data-analytics, big data, and artificial intelligence.

USAID includes all aspects of strengthening health institutions, including health-management information systems, and to encompass the use of digital financial services, including banking, insurance, and payment services accessed through mobile phones, electronic cards, and vouchers.

Please Give Your Input: Draft Model Law on Health Data Governance

Please Give Your Input: Draft Model Law on Health Data Governance

Published on: Apr 25 2024 by Guest Writer - 1 Comment
Several countries and regions are taking steps to strengthen their health data governance legislation and regulation. However, approaches vary and there is no overarching...
Please Give USAID Your Feedback on National Digital Health Programs

Please Give USAID Your Feedback on National Digital Health Programs

Published on: Mar 06 2024 by Wayan Vota - 1 Comment
USAID is publishing this Request for Information (RFI) to better understand how to advance partner countries’ national health information systems (HIS), digital...
12 Examples of African Government National ICT Policy Documents

12 Examples of African Government National ICT Policy Documents

Published on: Feb 14 2024 by Wayan Vota - 4 Comments
In today’s digital age, the development of national Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policies are crucial for African countries progress and...
What the Top 10 ICTworks Themes of 2023 Say About ICT4D in 2024

What the Top 10 ICTworks Themes of 2023 Say About ICT4D in 2024

Published on: Jan 18 2024 by Wayan Vota - Comments Off on What the Top 10 ICTworks Themes of 2023 Say About ICT4D in 2024
I started ICTworks fifteen (15!) years ago to engage ICT4D leaders. Now this humble site is the blog of record for the digital development community. We have 25,000...
Introducing 10 Responsible Chatbot Usage Principles  

Introducing 10 Responsible Chatbot Usage Principles  

Published on: Jan 03 2024 by Guest Writer - Comments Off on Introducing 10 Responsible Chatbot Usage Principles  
When a new technology is introduced in healthcare, it invites meticulous scrutiny. Conversational AI is no exception. Exchange sensitive health information with...
Moving From e-Chaos to Uganda’s New Digital Health Strategy

Moving From e-Chaos to Uganda’s New Digital Health Strategy

Published on: Nov 16 2023 by Guest Writer - Comments Off on Moving From e-Chaos to Uganda’s New Digital Health Strategy
In May 2023, the Uganda Ministry of Health (MOH) inaugurated the National Health Information and Digital Health Strategic Plan. Aligned with the National Development...
From e-Chaos to Sustainable Health Impact with FHIR

From e-Chaos to Sustainable Health Impact with FHIR

Published on: Nov 09 2023 by Guest Writer - 2 Comments
In a recent ICTworks article, Karamagi et al. describe digital health as in a state of e-Chaos. They demand digital health projects “stop further duplication,...
7 Use Cases for Artificial Intelligence in Global Health

7 Use Cases for Artificial Intelligence in Global Health

Published on: Oct 25 2023 by Guest Writer - Comments Off on 7 Use Cases for Artificial Intelligence in Global Health
We’ve all read the warning stories about AI: sentient robots, deep fakes, disappearing jobs. If the risk-benefit calculation for use and regulation of AI focuses...
Apply Now: £3,000,000 GBP for Disease Data Modeling Solutions in Africa

Apply Now: £3,000,000 GBP for Disease Data Modeling Solutions in Africa

Published on: Oct 09 2023 by Wayan Vota - 1 Comment
Mathematical modeling is a valuable tool for informing policy-making and programmatic decision-making in the public health domain. Modeling can be applied to analyze...
Register Now: Global Digital Health Forum 2023

Register Now: Global Digital Health Forum 2023

Published on: Oct 05 2023 by Sponsored Post - Comments Off on Register Now: Global Digital Health Forum 2023
The Global Digital Health Forum (GDHF) is back, and it’s poised to be bigger and more impactful than ever before! This year, GDHF will focus on the themes...