By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    medicare part d benefits
    Everything that You Need to Know About Medicare Part D
    August 15, 2022
    Best Ways to Boost Your Immune System this Winter
    Best Ways to Boost Your Immune System this Winter
    November 15, 2022
    back pain issues
    Ways to Treat Constant Back Pain
    August 21, 2023
    Latest News
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    More On Wellness Programs To Improve Health and Reduce Costs
    January 25, 2012
    Privatizing Social Security and Medicare: Who Can Defuse Political Dynamite?
    June 12, 2011
    Study: Risk of Death in Elderly Patients with Dementia Doubled with Some Antipsychotic Medications
    February 26, 2012
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: 5 Questions You’re Likely Not Asking About Digital Health, But Should
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Technology > Medical Innovations > 5 Questions You’re Likely Not Asking About Digital Health, But Should
eHealthMedical InnovationsMobile HealthSocial Media

5 Questions You’re Likely Not Asking About Digital Health, But Should

Fard Johnmar
Fard Johnmar
Share
6 Min Read
Image
SHARE

Image

For nearly a decade, I have had the privilege of experiencing, researching and contributing to the digital revolution in health.  When I first started focusing on this space, few were paying much attention.  Today, most people in health recognize that digital is important.

Image

For nearly a decade, I have had the privilege of experiencing, researching and contributing to the digital revolution in health.  When I first started focusing on this space, few were paying much attention.  Today, most people in health recognize that digital is important.

More Read

mHealth: Regulation vs. Innovation
A Perfect Fit: Uniting Medical Imaging & Patient Engagement
A Meeting of Minds on the Value of Healthcare IT
Is a Career in Naturopathic Medicine Right for You?
HIMSS Moving Forward

However, while the digital health conversation has increased in volume, there have been fewer efforts to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.  We do a good job of focusing on individual trends and technologies, but rarely examine digital health’s connective tissue to better understand why trends matter over the short and long term.

Are you missing the forest for the trees?  You might be.  Following are five questions you’re likely not asking about digital health, but should.

  1. How Do “Ancient” Technologies Like Social Media and the Web Impact How People Think and Behave – in Context:  The Web and social media have been around for many years, which is why I like to think of them as ancient, when compared with newer tools such as smart watches and medical 3D printing.  Yet, despite our continued focus on the Web and social media, we still have little understanding of how these tools influence how people think and behave – in context.  For example we know that Facebook – when measured in isolation – seems to influence sexual behavior.  But, how does it perform in the context of other information sources such as Google, government Websites and Twitter?  Answering these questions is vitally important if we are to fully unlock the power of digital health content to shape perceptions and save lives.   
  2. Which Non-Sexy Digital Tools Have the Most Potential to Change Consumers’ Daily Interactions With the Health System?  While we focus a lot of attention on smartphones, mobile apps and quantified self, it is likely that a set of non-sexy technologies will do the most to change how consumers interact with physicians and other health providers: e-mail and SMS.  Study after study (including this one) suggests that patients want to have the basic ability to connect with physicians on the go, receive test results, refill prescriptions and more without traveling to a hospital or clinic.  Fortunately, physicians appear to be responding to patients’ requests for digital interaction.  And, public-private partnerships are making it possible for secure patient-physician e-mailing to become more widespread. 
  3. Which Technologies Will Consumers, Rather Than Investors Choose? Many conversations about digital health begin and end with a focus on the startups that are making waves and developing innovative technologies.  This makes sense because the digital health investment landscape is red hot. However, we rarely spend enough time trying to understand not only which technologies consumers may choose, but why.  What are the fundamental reasons consumers are turning to these technologies and which companies are best positioned to meet their needs?  For some clues, click here.  
  4. How Will We Solve the Health Migration Problem? One of the most fundamental (and longstanding) issues facing health today is how to solve the migration problem.  As people change jobs, health plans and geographic locations, how can we ensure people can take their data with them so that they continue improving or maintaining their health?  Without solving this problem, the digital health technologies we so enthusiastically discuss will never be as effective as they could be.  Fortunately, there are some organizations, like Dossia, working to solve this difficult problem.
  5. What Will Happen if Consumers and Physicians Turn Off The Noise, But Miss Critical Signals? Passive and active sensing devices, social media and more show great promise at helping us to manage and track disease.  Yet, as the volume of data increases, will physicians and consumers simply hit the off button?  The data collection challenges are being solved, but the problem of how to deliver relevant, actionable information at scale still needs to be addressed.

The Forest or the Trees: Which Will You Choose?

The questions I asked above represent only a few of the many that we should be asking ourselves about digital health, but are not.  What will you do?  Will you choose content or context, surface answers or deep truths?  We’re currently running a survey designed to help you understand whether your digital health insights needs are being met, or if you’re at risk being left behind as the digital revolution transforms health.  Nearly 70 of your health industry peers have already taken this 1-minute poll.  Find out how you’re doing (and how you compare with others) by clicking here. 

image: eHealth/shutterstock

TAGGED:ehealth
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
Global Healthcare Policy & Law
July 17, 2025
paramedics in surgical gloves and masks
How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
Health care
July 16, 2025
a woman giving a key
How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
Health
July 16, 2025
a woman with kinesio tapes on her back arm
How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
Health care
July 16, 2025

You Might also Like

Denmark: High Healthcare IT Competence and a Formidable Talent Pool

September 5, 2011
find zebra search engine
DiagnosticsRemote Diagnostics

FindZebra: Rare Disease Search Engine

March 23, 2013
FDA logo
eHealth

FDA Letter Mentions Internal Site Search

February 22, 2013

International Student Design Contest for Medical Technology

September 30, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?