The novel coronavirus, what started as the flu, sent the whole world into a pandemic. Complete lockdowns, travel restrictions, social distancing, and worst of all, an economic disaster. Infecting millions, this virus brought on more than the world could take. Governments must effectively contain the spread, in order for the economy and businesses to flourish. Apart from abiding COVID-19 health protocols, it is apparent that digital health technology may help pandemic response in instances which are hard to manage manually.
Digital health technology is a broad spectrum, encompassing categories such as telemedicine, mobile health, health information technology, and personalized medicine. By utilizing mobile medical apps, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, doctors have revolutionized health care. Not only is it easily accessible, but it also enhances the ability to accurately diagnose and treat patients. With computing platforms, software, connectivity, and sensors for health, digital health technology may be utilized in many ways, from general wellness check-ins to wearable medical devices.
Certainly, accessibility is an important concept during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is where digital health technology comes into play By utilizing such technologies, monitoring our health and well-being is as easy as opening an application on your phone or looking at your smartwatch. Many countries have already implemented a plethora of digital health technology during the pandemic to overcome various issues, including clinical management, screening for infection, contact tracing, and tracking.
In China, for instance, clinical management is done mainly by the usage of artificial intelligence (AI). Said AI tool can differentiate COVID 19 and other lung diseases. This is done by processing CT images in seconds. This AI can deduce the likelihood of developing critical illness and acute respiratory distress among infected patients thanks to machine learning algorithms. These prediction models can be used in so many ways, including relocating patients to the right medical center and identifying regions needing resources. By utilizing this technology, patients with COVID 19 have access to the best care possible. A personalized long-term treatment plan will be made once the AI recognizes future symptoms .
Screening for infection is a must during this pandemic. Countries such as China, Iceland, Taiwan, and Singapore use digital health technology to accomplish this feat. In Singapore, every person’s temperature is taken almost everywhere upon entrance, including workplaces, public transport, and schools. The data is then collected from thermometers and used to pinpoint emerging hotspots and clusters of infection where testing should be inaugurated. In Iceland, the government is conducting mass testing of asymptomatic citizens. Using mobile technology, Iceland collects data on patient-reported symptoms and evaluates these against other datasets, including genomic sequence data. This is done to reveal information on the pathology and spread of the virus.
With a combination of artificial intelligence, mobile phone applications, thermal cameras, and digital thermometers, screening for infections has been easier than ever. Just by typing in your symptoms on a mobile application, an accurate diagnosis can be generated. During this pandemic, easy accessibility is necessary as some of us are too afraid to leave our houses and head to public spaces.
Contact tracing technology has been most prominent in Singapore and Germany. Singapore launched a mobile application that exchanges Bluetooth signals if they are in close proximity to each other. The information is thus stored in one's mobile phone for 21 days. If an individual is found to be positive for COVID 19, Singapore's Ministry of Health will be able to access this information to identify who has been in contact with the infected patient. In Germany, developers have created a smartwatch application to monitor the user's pulse, temperature, and sleep patterns for any sign of infections. This data is then presented online in the form of an interactive map where authorities can assess the likelihood of a COVID-19 incidence in the nation. These applications seem to work as both Singapore and Germany are known to have a few of the world's lowest COVID 19 mortality rates.
Nevertheless, everything has its limitations and drawbacks. Digital health technologies may intensify health care disparities and socioeconomic inequalities. These technologies tend to require a mobile phone and/or internet connection. People in low-income neighborhoods or remote regions may not have access to cellular data coverage or broadband signals. Another problem is privacy. Several digital health technologies infringe on privacy, especially ones that track movement and contact. Government surveillance may instill fear in many, posing an issue on the right to anonymity.
In conclusion, integrating various digital technologies to pandemic response may assist in flattening COVID 19 related curves or lowering a country’s mortality rate. Countries that have used these technologies in clinical management, testing, and contact tracing seem to be the front runners in managing this deadly disease. Not only that, but digital health technology gives everyone an easily accessible healthcare option. You can simply use a mobile application to confer with a doctor or specialist. Hence, with evident benefits like such, digital health technology is an important and beneficial tool especially at this time.
Works Cited
Health, Center for Devices and Radiological. “What Is Digital Health?” FDA, 22 Sept. 2020, www.fda.gov/medical-devices/digital-health-center-excellence/what-digital-health#benefits.
Post, The Jakarta. “Digitalization and the Promise of Customer-Centric Debt Collection.” The Jakarta Post, www.thejakartapost.com/academia/2020/01/17/digitalization-and-the-promise-of-customer-centric-debt-collection.html. Accessed 26 July 2021.
Whitelaw, Sera, et al. “Applications of Digital Technology in COVID-19 Pandemic Planning and Response.” The Lancet Digital Health, vol. 0, no. 0, 29 June 2020, www.thelancet.com/journals/landig/article/PIIS2589-7500(20)30142-4/fulltext, 10.1016/S2589-7500(20)30142-4.
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