Digital health needs to step up in the post-COVID world
The pandemic brought telemedicine into the spotlight , but has it served its purpose ?
The digital transformation in healthcare that has emerged from the global pandemic could provide a strong foundation for providers to move forward into a digital era . But it needs to evolve faster .
That ’ s according to Dr Ian Z Chuang , chief medical officer at Elsevier , which publishes journals and gathers data across scientific , technical , and medical disciplines .
Speaking at Medical Festival Asia , an online event co-conceptualised by Global Health Asia-Pacific and Messe Düsseldorf Asia that took place last December , Dr Chuang discussed how hospital systems have been forced to pivot digitally to transform their operational , care , and service models due to the current pandemic .
He looked at whether these new trends and changes were here to stay or would revert back over the coming months and years as the pandemic subsided and which best practices could be carried forward to achieve a hybrid model of healthcare .
The medical industry ’ s response to the demands of COVID-19 is still only touching the surface , said Dr Chuang .
“ I think there ’ s a lot more effectiveness and efficiency that we can gain as we learn and continuously evolve along with the use of digital technology in healthcare . At the end of the day , technology should help us to be more efficient and effective , but it ’ s still only the human care professionals who can ultimately deliver the empathy that ’ s at the heart of healthcare in medical treatment ,” he said .
“ Digital health , through digital technology , is never going to replace that . Ideally , it will enrich that and grow that even further . That ’ s critical for us to keep in mind ,” he added .
GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com JUNE 2021
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