COVID-19’s Impact on Digital Health Adoption: The Growing Gap Between a Technological and a Cultural Transformation

Abstract

Health care in the 21st century has started undergoing major changes due to the rising number of patients with chronic conditions; increased access to new technologies, medical information, and peer support via the internet; and the ivory tower of medicine breaking down. This marks the beginning of a cultural transformation called digital health. This has also led to a shift in the roles of patients and medical professionals, resulting in a new, equal partnership. When COVID-19 hit, the adoption of digital health technologies skyrocketed. The technological revolution we had been aiming for in health care took place in just months due to the pandemic, but the cultural transition is lagging. This creates a dangerous gap between what is possible technologically through remote care, at-home lab tests, or health sensors and what patients and physicians are actually longing for. If we do it well enough now, we can spare a decade of technological transformations and bring that long-term vision of patients becoming the point of care to the practical reality of today. This is a historic opportunity we might not want to waste.

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