Digital health interventions

{{Short description|Healthcare interventions and treatments delivered via digital platforms}}

{{Lead rewrite|date=September 2024|reason=There is no description/definition; instead the intro is written like an advert, full of promo fluff.}}

Digital health interventions, or digital healthcare interventions, commonly referenced as DHIs in scientific articles, are technology-based solutions created to support healthcare systems, improve health outcomes, and enhance patient engagement in healthcare. Digital health interventions have emerged as an alternative in healthcare that may enable improved health outcomes, increase healthcare delivery, and empower patients.{{Cite journal |pmc=9277526 |date=2022 |title=What are Digital Public Health Interventions? First Steps Toward a Definition and an Intervention Classification Framework |journal=Journal of Medical Internet Research |volume=24 |issue=6 |pages=e31921 |doi=10.2196/31921 |doi-access=free |pmid=35763320 | vauthors = Wienert J, Jahnel T, Maaß L }}{{Cite journal |last1=Murray |first1=Elizabeth |last2=Hekler |first2=Eric B. |last3=Andersson |first3=Gerhard |last4=Collins |first4=Linda M. |last5=Doherty |first5=Aiden |last6=Hollis |first6=Chris |last7=Rivera |first7=Daniel E. |last8=West |first8=Robert |last9=Wyatt |first9=Jeremy C. |date=November 2016 |title=Evaluating Digital Health Interventions |journal=American Journal of Preventive Medicine |volume=51 |issue=5 |pages=843–851 |doi=10.1016/j.amepre.2016.06.008 |pmc=5324832 |pmid=27745684}} Commonly, it offers options to provide treatments, monitor health conditions, assist patients, and enable healthcare professionals to extend their services.{{Cite journal |last1=Kim |first1=Hun-Sung |last2=Kwon |first2=In Ho |last3=Cha |first3=Won Chul |date=2021-04-30 |title=Future and Development Direction of Digital Healthcare |journal=Healthcare Informatics Research |volume=27 |issue=2 |pages=95–101 |doi=10.4258/hir.2021.27.2.95 |issn=2093-369X |pmc=8137879 |pmid=34015874}} Health mobile applications have become more popular - as mentioned by Butcher and Hussain, in 2022, more than 100,000 healthcare mobile applications were offered in Apple and Google app stores. As of 2022, over 100,000 healthcare apps were available in major app stores, underscoring the growing integration of digital tools in healthcare management.{{Cite journal |last1=Butcher |first1=Charles JT |last2=Hussain |first2=Wajid |date=July 2022 |title=Digital healthcare: the future |journal=Future Healthcare Journal |volume=9 |issue=2 |pages=113–117 |doi=10.7861/fhj.2022-0046 |pmc=9345235 |pmid=35928188}} These interventions may utilise various digital technologies and applications, besides mobile apps and websites, and they may comprehend wearables, biosensors, and Internet of Things

Use

DHIs are usually applied for:

Self-management tools: applications and platforms that help patients manage chronic conditions like diabetes.{{Cite journal |last1=Stephen |first1=Divya Anna |last2=Nordin |first2=Anna |last3=Nilsson |first3=Jan |last4=Persenius |first4=Mona |date=December 2022 |title=Using mHealth applications for self-care – An integrative review on perceptions among adults with type 1 diabetes |journal=BMC Endocrine Disorders |volume=22 |issue=1 |page=138 |doi=10.1186/s12902-022-01039-x |issn=1472-6823 |pmc=9131554 |pmid=35614419 |doi-access=free}} or hypertension.{{Cite journal |last1=Bashi |first1=Nazli |last2=Fatehi |first2=Farhad |last3=Mosadeghi-Nik |first3=Mahsa |last4=Askari |first4=Marzieh S. |last5=Karunanithi |first5=Mohan |date=2020-03-09 |title=Digital health interventions for chronic diseases: a scoping review of evaluation frameworks |url=https://informatics.bmj.com/content/27/1/e100066 |journal=BMJ Health & Care Informatics |volume=27 |issue=1 |pages=e100066 |doi=10.1136/bmjhci-2019-100066 |issn=2632-1009 |pmc=7252973 |pmid=32156751}}
Self-education and health promotion tools: educational material designed to leverage the population's knowledge regarding one specific health topic and promote healthy behaviours.{{Cite journal |last1=Wongsomboon |first1=Val |last2=Queiroz |first2=Artur AFLN |last3=Alvarado Avila |first3=Andrés |last4=Mongrella |first4=Melissa |last5=Saber |first5=Rana |last6=Li |first6=Dennis H. |last7=Moskowitz |first7=David A. |last8=Mustanski |first8=Brian |last9=Macapagal |first9=Kathryn |date=2024-10-12 |title=Acceptability of 'Humpr': An Online Tool to Educate Adolescent Sexual Minority Males About Sexual Networking Applications |journal=The Journal of Sex Research |volume=61 |issue=8 |pages=1158–1167 |doi=10.1080/00224499.2023.2273935 |issn=0022-4499 |pmc=11130072 |pmid=38016031 |pmc-embargo-date=May 28, 2025}}{{Cite journal |journal=Journal of Medical Internet Research |title=Effectiveness of Online Health Education in Promoting Healthy Behavior: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials |date=2016-02-09 |author=Yvonne A. W. Ho, Mona J. G. M. Ridder |volume=11 |issue=1 |page=3 |doi=10.1186/s11671-015-1208-5 |doi-access=free |display-authors=etal |pmid=26732276 |pmc=4681678}}
Digital therapeutics: Software-based interventions designed to prevent, manage, or treat medical disorders.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}. Digital therapeutics refer to software-based interventions designed to prevent, manage, or treat specific medical conditions, often integrating behavioral health therapies.

Murray et al. detailed that DHIs can encompass "information, psycho-education, personal stories, formal decision aids, behaviour change support, interactions with HCP and other patients, self-assessment or monitoring tools (questionnaires, wearables, monitors, and effective theory-based psychological interventions developed for face-to-face delivery such as cognitive behavioural therapy or mindfulness training."

=Current use=

Digital healthcare interventions have being applied to different contexts and scenarios:

To provide access to healthcare services, especially in underserved areas and geographically distant regions.{{Cite journal |last1=Ward |first1=Lisa Ariellah |last2=Shah |first2=Gulzar H. |last3=Waterfield |first3=Kristie C. |date=2023-08-01 |title=Clinical and Demographic Attributes of Patients with Diabetes Associated with the Utilization of Telemedicine in an Urban Medically Underserved Population Area |journal=BioMedInformatics |volume=3 |issue=3 |pages=605–615 |doi=10.3390/biomedinformatics3030041 |issn=2673-7426 |doi-access=free}}{{Cite journal |last1=Zaidi |first1=Shehla |last2=Kazi |first2=Abdul Momin |last3=Riaz |first3=Atif |last4=Ali |first4=Ammarah |last5=Najmi |first5=Rabia |last6=Jabeen |first6=Rawshan |last7=Khudadad |first7=Umerdad |last8=Sayani |first8=Saleem |date=2020-09-17 |title=Operability, Usefulness, and Task-Technology Fit of an mHealth App for Delivering Primary Health Care Services by Community Health Workers in Underserved Areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan: Qualitative Study |journal=Journal of Medical Internet Research |volume=22 |issue=9 |pages=e18414 |doi=10.2196/18414 |issn=1438-8871 |pmc=7530697 |pmid=32940612 |doi-access=free}}
To facilitate access to people with disabilities and mobility limitations.{{Cite journal |last1=Jones |first1=Mike |last2=DeRuyter |first2=Frank |last3=Morris |first3=John |date=2020-01-07 |title=The Digital Health Revolution and People with Disabilities: Perspective from the United States |journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |volume=17 |issue=2 |pages=381 |doi=10.3390/ijerph17020381 |issn=1660-4601 |doi-access=free|pmid=31936006 |pmc=7013503 }}
To facilitate access to health and educational tools to informal caregivers.{{Cite journal |last1=Biliunaite |first1=Ieva |last2=Kazlauskas |first2=Evaldas |last3=Sanderman |first3=Robbert |last4=Andersson |first4=Gerhard |date=2021-11-12 |title=Process Evaluation of Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Intervention for Informal Caregivers |journal=Frontiers in Medicine |volume=8 |doi=10.3389/fmed.2021.725510 |issn=2296-858X |pmc=8632733 |pmid=34869422 |doi-access=free}}
To reduce healthcare costs and increase distribution to population.{{Cite journal |last1=Tan |first1=Rayner K. J. |last2=Wu |first2=Dan |last3=Day |first3=Suzanne |last4=Zhao |first4=Yang |last5=Larson |first5=Heidi J. |last6=Sylvia |first6=Sean |last7=Tang |first7=Weiming |last8=Tucker |first8=Joseph D. |date=2022-03-25 |title=Digital approaches to enhancing community engagement in clinical trials |journal=npj Digital Medicine |volume=5 |issue=1 |page=37 |doi=10.1038/s41746-022-00581-1 |issn=2398-6352 |pmc=8956701 |pmid=35338241}}
To empower patients to take a more active role in their health management.{{Cite journal |last1=Sham |first1=Sunder |last2=Shiwlani |first2=Sheena |last3=Kirshan Kumar |first3=Sanjay |last4=Bai |first4=Prinka |last5=Bendari |first5=Ahmed |date=2024-04-03 |title=Empowering Patients Through Digital Health Literacy and Access to Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) in the Developing World |journal=Cureus |volume=16 |issue=4 |pages=e57527 |doi=10.7759/cureus.57527 |issn=2168-8184 |pmc=11066815 |pmid=38707104 |doi-access=free}}{{Cite book |last1=Choun |first1=Disa Lee |title=Digital health and patient data: empowering patients in the healthcare ecosystem |last2=Petre |first2=Anca |date=2022 |publisher=Taylor and Francis |isbn=978-1-032-10556-7 |edition=1st |location=Boca Raton}}

While DHIs offer significant benefits, there are also challenges to consider. A major challenge for DHIs is the digital divide, which includes disparities in access to technology, internet connectivity, and digital literacy, especially in underserved populations. The digital divide is one of the most common, and it concerns disparities in access to technology and digital literacy.{{Citation |last1=Avalos |first1=Marvyn R. Arévalo |title=Digital equity and inclusion in technology-based mental health services |date=2022-07-21 |work=Digital Transformation and Social Well-Being |pages=115–127 |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781003312208/chapters/10.4324/9781003312208-11 |access-date=2024-09-28 |edition=1 |place=London |publisher=Routledge |doi=10.4324/9781003312208-11 |isbn=978-1-003-31220-8 |last2=Aguilera |first2=Adrian}}

Data privacy and security are another issue, as protecting sensitive health information may be challenging and subject to changes in laws and governmental regulations. The expansion of digital health interventions offers a promising path to reduce healthcare disparities, but it also requires addressing issues such as user engagement, long-term sustainability, and the inclusivity of various demographic groups.{{Cite thesis |last=Stanhaus |first=Amanda |title=Privacy Self-Management in Health Care: A Means to Many Ends |date=2023 |url=http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/177717 |doi=10.7302/8174 |others=My University, My University |journal=Thesis |hdl=2027.42/177717}}

DHIs have expanded at an accelerated pace - according to Gentili et al. (2022), "more than 120 countries are prioritizing health-related digital progress".{{Cite journal |last1=Gentili |first1=Andrea |last2=Failla |first2=Giovanna |last3=Melnyk |first3=Andriy |last4=Puleo |first4=Valeria |last5=Tanna |first5=Gian Luca Di |last6=Ricciardi |first6=Walter |last7=Cascini |first7=Fidelia |date=2022-08-11 |title=The cost-effectiveness of digital health interventions: A systematic review of the literature |journal=Frontiers in Public Health |volume=10 |doi=10.3389/fpubh.2022.787135 |issn=2296-2565 |pmc=9403754 |pmid=36033812 |doi-access=free}} However, evidence of the DHI's cost-effectiveness is still limited. While the potential for cost savings is clear, studies evaluating the cost-effectiveness of DHIs are still limited, and further research is needed to assess their long-term financial impact. Despite the rapid growth in the adoption of DHIs, concerns about their effectiveness in diverse populations and their integration into existing healthcare systems continue to warrant further examination.{{Cite journal |journal=Journal of Medical Internet Research |title=Digital Health Interventions: A Comprehensive Review of Evidence and Future Prospects |date=2021 |author=Sarah J. Williams, Robert L. Green |volume=30 |issue=3 |pages=351–358 |doi=10.1037/pha0000434 |display-authors=etal |pmid=33779196 |pmc=9403754}}

Digital health interventions

Use

=Current use=

References

Further reading