Going digital: opportunities and barriers in the use of technology for health research

Digital health refers to the use of novel information com­munication technologies in healthcare. The use of these technologies could positively impact public health and health outcomes of populations by generating timely data, and facili­tating the process of data collection, analysis, and knowledge...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Cauane Blumenberg, David Peiris, Christian Loret de Mola, Manohan Sinnadurai, Maoyi Tian, Alline M Beleigoli, Maria Lazo-Porras, Francisco Diez-Canseco, Miguel Paredes, L Max Labán-Seminario, Jessica Hanae Zafra-Tanaka, Devarsetty Praveen, J Jaime Miranda
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública 2022-06-01
Series:Salud Pública de México
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Online Access:https://www.saludpublica.mx/index.php/spm/article/view/12977
Description
Summary:Digital health refers to the use of novel information com­munication technologies in healthcare. The use of these technologies could positively impact public health and health outcomes of populations by generating timely data, and facili­tating the process of data collection, analysis, and knowledge translation. Using selected case studies, we aim to describe the opportunities and barriers in the use of technology applied to health-related research. We focus on three areas: strategies to generate new data using novel data collection methods, strategies to use and analyze existing data, and using digital health for health-related interventions. Exemplars from seven countries are provided to illustrate activity across these areas. Although the use of health-related technologies is increasing, challenges remain to support their adoption and scale-up –especially for under-served populations. Research using digital health approaches should take a user-centered design, actively working with the population of interest to maximize their uptake and effectiveness.
ISSN:0036-3634