“Digital health” is the new buzzword/term in healthcare. The concept itself has proven to be quite useful, as was especially demonstrated during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, which demanded new innovation and technology amidst the chaos of social distancing and quarantine. Over the past decade, the idea of digital health has transformed from simple patient-portals and rudimentary EMR systems to a more vast ecosystem, ranging from healthcare devices, telehealth services, artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities, and robust data-science. Indeed, many of these new innovations are revolutionizing the way healthcare is being delivered.
The U.S. government has continued to recognize the role of digital health and innovation in healthcare as an integral part of successful healthcare infrastructure. In fact, entities such as the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s Digital Health Center of Excellence (DHCoE) reiterate the government’s commitment to digital health, and “marks the beginning of a comprehensive approach to digital health technology, setting the stage for advancing and realizing the potential of digital health.” The organization aims to empower “digital health stakeholders to advance health care by fostering responsible and high-quality digital health innovation…” and ultimately serve “patients, developers, health care providers, researchers, industry, payers, other government agencies, international regulatory bodies, CDRH, and other centers within the FDA.”