{"id":3112,"date":"2020-11-05T16:03:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-05T16:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world-heart-federation.org\/news\/can-the-digital-age-remedy-the-unequal-healthcare-access-that-preceded-it\/"},"modified":"2021-07-28T11:28:56","modified_gmt":"2021-07-28T09:28:56","slug":"can-the-digital-age-remedy-the-unequal-healthcare-access-that-preceded-it","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/world-heart-federation.org\/news\/can-the-digital-age-remedy-the-unequal-healthcare-access-that-preceded-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Can the digital age remedy the unequal healthcare access that preceded it?"},"content":{"rendered":"

For decades, the digital age has been revolutionizing our lives. The healthcare sector was among the first to harness the opportunities that digital technology makes possible. If we can find one winning outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic, it could be that the tools of digital health, for example telemedicine, saw increased uptake and often, effectively so. This was either because of patients\u2019 fear of contracting COVID-19 in a medical facility or because of facilities\u2019 overload. Patients have had consultations via mobile phone, and doctors have been able to equip patients with monitoring devices and treatments for at-home use. But the biggest potential winner presents the greatest challenge: creating the platforms and systems that make the benefits of any healthcare approach \u2013 digital or traditional \u2013 accessible to the most vulnerable and in need.<\/p>\n

Worldwide, diseases affecting the circulatory system such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease are the main cause of mortality, morbidity and health expenditure. Two facts make heart health the ideal and urgent starting point for digital applications driven by technology: cardiology has a history of innovation and medical \u201cfirsts\u201d while cardiovascular disease is global killer number one, claiming more than 17 million lives each year. \u00a0A position paper by the World Heart Federation<\/a> makes the case for digitally transforming circulatory healthcare as the field with enormous potential for impact. This is largely because technology to diagnose cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is not invasive and can lend itself to consultations and follow-up via digital means such as telemedicine and emerging digital platforms.<\/p>\n

With regard to cardiovascular and circulatory health, digital care can assist comprehensively in prevention, diagnosis, monitoring, oversight of medication, and disease tracking. From wearable devices to voice-activated medical assistants, the digital sphere is teeming with breakthroughs that can make the difference for the world\u2019s growing incidence of such noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Digital health involves patients and the health workforce in different ways, requires funding commitments, and the creation of suitable regulations to guide and monitor its use.<\/p>\n

Exploring the angles and opportunities of digital heath, current uses and gaps, the WHF position aims to support policymakers in leveraging technology for better circulatory health and to capture the roles of various sectors in making digital health a tool for everyone. Five key recommendations map a path across the digital frontier, by:<\/p>\n