The Importance of Digital Health Governance

Digital health governance is the process of establishing and implementing policies, norms, and standards for the use of information and communication technologies in health systems. It is important for ensuring the quality, efficiency, and equity of health services, as well as the protection of data privacy and security.

According to the latest studies and research, some of the key aspects of digital health governance are:

• Developing a national digital health strategy that aligns with the health system's goals and priorities.
• Establishing a clear regulatory framework for the approval, evaluation, and monitoring of digital health tools and services.
• Engaging with various stakeholders, including patients, providers, developers, and policymakers to foster collaboration and trust.
• Building the capacity and skills of health workers and users to adopt and use digital health solutions effectively.
• Promoting innovation and research in digital health to address the emerging needs and challenges of the health systems.

Digital health governance is a dynamic and complex process that requires constant adaptation and learning. It is essential to harness the potential of digital technologies to transform health systems and improve health outcomes. 

Reference: 

1. Marcelo, A. (2020, July 22). Transforming Health Systems through Good Digital Health Governance. Asian Development Bank.  //www.adb.org/publications/transforming-health-systems-good-digital-health-governance

2. Ricciardi, W., Barros, P. P., Bourek, A., Brouwer, W., Kelsey, T., Lehtonen, L., Anastasy, C., Barros, P. P., Barry, M. M., Bourek, A., Brouwer, W., De Maeseneer, J., Kringos, D., Lehtonen, L., McKee, M., Murauskiene, L., Nuti, S., Ricciardi, W., Siciliani, L., & Wild, C. (2019). How to govern the digital transformation of health services. European Journal of Public Health, 29(Supplement_3), 7–12.  //doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckz165

3. Carnicero, J., & Serra, P. (2020b). Gobernanza de la salud digital: El arte de la transformación de los sistemas de salud.  //doi.org/10.18235/0002661

The current global digital health landscape reveals that successful digital health initiatives should be led through strong governance structures. The strategy, which will work across multiple health priorities, should seek an approach that is underpinned by standards and an architecture that enables such integration ( //www.who.int/teams/digital-health-and-innovation/governance)

The strategy and governance team is tasked to support countries to facilitate and accelerate the strategy implementation, develop and implement a comprehensive and effective governance mechanism as well as a action plan, and architecture blueprint using multi-stakeholder and a whole system approach to ensure safety and positive health outcomes in the delivery of digital health systems solutions and devices. The unit also facilitates the development of evidence-based technical documents on different topics related to the emerging use of digital technologies, such as cost-effectiveness, sustainability and affordability, ethical use, privacy, security, and safety ( //www.who.int/teams/digital-health-and-innovation/governance).

Over the last two decades, large-scale digital health programs and services, such as electronic health records (EHRs), have proliferated with equal access, improved quality, and resource optimization as wider health policy goals. National eHealth policy programs have gained attention not only for their benefits, but also for several unintended consequences and failed expectations. Given the mixed, complex results of these programs, questions are increasingly being asked about the executive power of political-governance strategies and how large-scale digitalization programs are governed to achieve the health policy goals of quality improvement and equal access with the necessary digital transformations (Ekeland and Linstad, 2020).

A systematic review of existing literature demonstrated that the collective negotiations between the nation-state and global policy actors, medical and self-governance actors, and global business and industry actors are essential. Technological affordances represent both positive and negative opportunities concerning the realization of health policy goals, and future studies should scrutinize this dynamic (Ekeland and Linstad, 2020).

References: 

WHO: //www.who.int/teams/digital-health-and-innovation/governance

Ekeland, A. G., & Linstad, L. H. (2020). Elaborating Models of eHealth Governance: Qualitative Systematic Review. Journal of medical Internet research, 22(10), e17214. //doi.org/10.2196/17214

Digital health governance is of paramount significance in the modern healthcare landscape, as it plays a pivotal role in ensuring the efficient and secure utilization of technology in healthcare delivery. This governance framework encompasses a set of policies, standards, and regulations that guide the development, implementation, and maintenance of digital health systems and solutions. Here are some key reasons highlighting the importance of digital health governance:

1. Data Privacy and Security: Digital health governance establishes protocols and safeguards to protect sensitive patient data. In an era where data breaches and cyberattacks are prevalent, robust governance is essential to maintain patient trust and safeguard confidential medical information

2. Interoperability: Effective governance helps promote interoperability among various healthcare systems and devices. This interoperability ensures seamless communication and data exchange between different healthcare providers and technologies, improving patient care coordination

3. Quality Assurance: Digital health governance ensures that healthcare technologies meet stringent quality standards. By adhering to established guidelines, healthcare organizations can provide patients with reliable and effective digital health solutions 

4. Ethical Considerations: Governance frameworks address ethical concerns surrounding the use of digital health technologies, such as telemedicine and AI-driven diagnostics. This helps ensure that patient rights and ethical principles are upheld 

5. Regulatory Compliance: Adhering to digital health governance regulations is crucial for healthcare organizations to remain compliant with legal requirements. Non-compliance can result in legal repercussions and damage to an organization's reputation 

6. Innovation and Research: Effective governance fosters an environment that encourages innovation and research in the digital health sector. By providing clear guidelines and support, it enables the development of groundbreaking healthcare technologies

7. Resource Allocation: Governance helps healthcare organizations allocate resources efficiently by prioritizing investments in digital health initiatives that align with their strategic goals. This ensures that limited resources are utilized optimally 

In conclusion, digital health governance is indispensable in modern healthcare, as it safeguards patient data, promotes interoperability, upholds ethical standards, and ensures regulatory compliance. By establishing a robust governance framework, healthcare organizations can harness the full potential of digital health technologies to improve patient care and drive innovation.

References-

1-World Health Organization: WHO. (2019). Digital health. www.who.int.  //www.who.int/health-topics/digital-health#tab=tab_1

2-Interoperability | HealthIT.gov. (n.d.).  //www.healthit.gov/topic/interoperability

Digital health governance is vital for digital health solutions:

• Evaluation and Evidence-based Decision Making: Emphasizes performance evaluation, considering quality, efficiency, and equity. Evidence-based decisions ensure effectiveness.
• Transparency, Accountability, and Participation: Ensures clear, accessible decision-making, holds parties accountable, and involves patients and professionals.
• Balancing Centralized and Decentralized Activity: Striking the right balance for consistency and adaptation.
• Addressing Inequities and Empowering Patients: Evaluates impact on inequities and empowers patients for better outcomes.
• Cybersecurity and Data Protection: Critical for patient data and system security.

In conclusion, digital health governance drives effective digital health solutions by evaluating, and involving stakeholders, addressing disparities, and ensuring cybersecurity.

Reference:

Ricciardi W, Pita Barros P, Bourek A, Brouwer W, Kelsey T, Lehtonen L; Expert Panel on Effective Ways of Investing in Health (EXPH). How to govern the digital transformation of health services. Eur J Public Health. 2019 Oct 1;29(Supplement_3):7-12. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckz165. PMID: 31738442; PMCID: PMC6859522.

The governance of digital health plays a pivotal role in guiding the enhancement of healthcare quality, efficiency, and effectiveness. The healthcare system faces a multifaceted challenge, encompassing the triple burden of disease, which includes non-communicable diseases, infectious diseases, and external factors. Furthermore, there is an imperative need for fiscal and financial sustainability alongside the constant pursuit of improved medical care quality and effectiveness. These demands necessitate substantial changes within the healthcare system, which are integral to the process of digital transformation.

The integration of information technology and communication within the healthcare system is the foundation of its digital transformation. This transformation necessitates a system of governance that addresses issues related to rights, norms, responsibilities, and risks in key areas such as the intersection of the internet and healthcare, the utilization of health data, and the management of information systems.

Reference: Carnicero, J., Serra, P., Castrejón, M., Bucaram, S., Garcıa Hurtado, Á., Ortiz Seguel, A., & Silva Zuniga, M. C. (2020). Governance for digital health: the art of health systems transformation. Washington, DC: Inter-American Development Bank.

In developing countries like India, technology-based interventions are playing a fundamental role in everyday operations and in providing essential services including universal health coverage.

A recent article explores India’s digital-based initiative namely the universal health coverage program as RSBY adopts the digital biometric approach for healthcare in India. However, the findings directed towards the concerns and have raised questions on the deprivation of technology and awareness at the user’s level. Additionally, the concerns on the suitability of digital solutions due to issues in accessing universal health coverage services alerts and directed towards the importance of considering socio-economic and healthcare system issues and the need for digital health governance (Al Dahdah & Mishra, 2022)

Similar issues have been raised in another study, as it points toward the need to enhance the governance of digital health for infectious disease outbreaks. The author has emphasized integrating formal and informal digital health approaches for managing infectious diseases within and across countries. The study calls for critical examinations of the practice of digital health governance to address public health emergencies (Roberts & Kelman, 2023).

Henceforth, considering digital health governance it is essential to understand the dynamics of the healthcare system, community, and the emerging relationships which are enablers, if not resolved properly can become a barrier in digital transformation.

Roberts, S., & Kelman, I. (2023). Governing digital health for infectious disease outbreaks. Global Public Health, 18(1). //doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2023.2241894

Al Dahdah, M., & Mishra, R. K. (2022). Digital health for all: The turn to digitized healthcare in India. Social Science & Medicine, 114968. //doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114968

The digital revolution has altered the development of products and services in practically every element of human life, including human health. Digital health is a fast increasing medical discipline that has a substantial impact on improving health-care quality, efficacy, lowering health-care system and patient costs, and clinical research. As a result, digital health governance is critical in guiding the enhancement of healthcare quality, efficiency, and effectiveness through evaluation and evidence-based decision making, transparency, accountability, and participation, balancing centralised and decentralised activity, addressing inequities and empowering patients, and cybersecurity and data protection.

//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8103966/

The importance of digital health governance is an important topic in today's of healthcare infrastructure as it is giving promising and beneficial results to improve healthcare delivery, patient outcomes, and data security.

It is extremely concerning that sensitive patient data can be revealed if these technologies are not up to the mark. We are looking out for ways that can ease out the burden for patients and healthcare both and this can be an interesting way out.

References:

//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10315462/

//www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2023.1203945/full