<s>
Digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
is	O
a	O
discipline	O
that	O
includes	O
digital	O
care	O
programs	O
,	O
technologies	O
with	O
health	O
,	O
healthcare	O
,	O
living	O
,	O
and	O
society	O
to	O
enhance	O
the	O
efficiency	O
of	O
healthcare	O
delivery	O
and	O
to	O
make	O
medicine	O
more	O
personalized	O
and	O
precise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
definitions	O
of	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
and	O
its	O
remits	O
overlap	O
in	O
many	O
ways	O
with	O
those	O
of	O
health	O
and	O
medical	O
informatics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Worldwide	O
adoption	O
of	O
electronic	B-Application
medical	I-Application
records	I-Application
has	O
been	O
on	O
the	O
rise	O
since	O
1990	O
and	O
is	O
closely	O
correlated	O
with	O
the	O
existence	O
of	O
universal	O
health	O
care	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
is	O
a	O
multi-disciplinary	O
domain	O
involving	O
many	O
stakeholders	O
,	O
including	O
clinicians	O
,	O
researchers	O
and	O
scientists	O
with	O
a	O
wide	O
range	O
of	O
expertise	O
in	O
healthcare	O
,	O
engineering	O
,	O
social	O
sciences	O
,	O
public	O
health	O
,	O
health	O
economics	O
and	O
data	O
management	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
technologies	O
include	O
both	O
hardware	B-Architecture
and	O
software	O
solutions	O
and	O
services	O
,	O
including	O
telemedicine	B-Application
,	O
wearable	B-Operating_System
devices	I-Operating_System
,	O
augmented	B-General_Concept
reality	I-General_Concept
,	O
and	O
virtual	B-Application
reality	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Generally	O
,	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
interconnects	O
health	O
systems	O
to	O
improve	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
computational	O
technologies	O
,	O
smart	B-Device
devices	I-Device
,	O
computational	O
analysis	O
techniques	O
,	O
and	O
communication	O
media	O
to	O
aid	O
healthcare	O
professionals	O
and	O
their	O
patients	O
manage	O
illnesses	O
and	O
health	O
risks	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
promote	O
health	O
and	O
wellbeing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
platforms	O
enable	O
rapid	O
and	O
inexpensive	O
communications	O
,	O
critics	O
warn	O
against	O
potential	O
privacy	O
violations	O
of	O
personal	O
health	B-General_Concept
data	I-General_Concept
and	O
the	O
role	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
could	O
play	O
in	O
increasing	O
the	O
health	O
and	O
digital	O
divide	O
between	O
social	O
majority	O
and	O
minority	O
groups	O
,	O
possibly	O
leading	O
to	O
mistrust	O
and	O
hesitancy	O
to	O
use	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
prominence	O
of	O
Digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
in	O
the	O
past	O
century	O
has	O
culminated	O
for	O
the	O
emergence	O
of	O
three	O
reasons	O
,	O
stated	O
by	O
both	O
Professor	O
John	O
Powell	O
and	O
Professor	O
Theodoros	O
N	O
Arvanitis	O
"	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
new	O
technologies	O
...	O
and	O
also	O
trends	O
towards	O
smart	O
,	O
wearable	O
and	O
pervasive	O
technologies	O
;	O
the	O
need	O
for	O
health	O
services	O
to	O
find	O
new	O
approaches	O
to	O
addressing	O
the	O
demands	O
of	O
an	O
ageing	O
population	O
...	O
and	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
the	O
empowered	O
patient	O
and	O
the	O
shift	O
in	O
models	O
of	O
health	O
service	O
delivery	O
towards	O
patient-centred	O
care	O
,	O
and	O
patient-led	O
care.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
three	O
points	O
have	O
directed	O
and	O
motivated	O
the	O
rise	O
in	O
the	O
elements	O
that	O
play	O
a	O
crucial	O
role	O
in	O
the	O
creation	O
of	O
Digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
care	I-Application
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
group	O
of	O
these	O
services	O
is	O
known	O
as	O
primary	O
care	O
services	O
in	O
the	O
domain	O
of	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
services	O
include	O
wireless	O
medical	O
devices	O
that	O
utilize	O
technology	O
such	O
as	O
Wi-Fi	O
or	O
Bluetooth	B-Protocol
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
applications	B-Application
on	O
mobile	B-Application
devices	I-Application
that	O
encourage	O
the	O
betterment	O
of	O
an	O
individual	O
's	O
health	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
applications	B-Application
that	O
promote	O
overall	O
general	O
wellness	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
other	O
words	O
,	O
Lupton	O
states	O
that	O
various	O
media	O
technologies	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
found	O
on	O
mobile	B-Application
devices	I-Application
are	O
being	O
utilized	O
to	O
try	O
and	O
better	O
certain	O
groups	O
 '	O
behaviors	O
in	O
concern	O
with	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
second	O
group	O
of	O
these	O
services	O
is	O
known	O
as	O
acute	O
care	O
in	O
the	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
domain	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
services	O
include	O
telemedicine	B-Application
which	O
is	O
defined	O
as	O
handling	O
patients	O
over	O
some	O
sort	O
of	O
streaming	O
device	O
and	O
is	O
targeted	O
towards	O
areas	O
where	O
the	O
population	O
is	O
more	O
widely	O
scattered	O
,	O
medical	O
devices	O
that	O
incorporate	O
different	O
aspects	O
of	O
software	O
otherwise	O
known	O
as	O
SaMD	O
,	O
and	O
examples	O
of	O
these	O
devices	O
are	O
pacemakers	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sociologist	O
Deborah	O
Lupton	O
states	O
"	O
However	O
,	O
members	O
of	O
some	O
social	O
groups	O
are	O
currently	O
excluded	O
from	O
full	O
participation	O
in	O
the	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
ecosystem	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mechanisms	O
for	O
facilitating	O
further	O
consultation	O
between	O
the	O
various	O
stakeholders	O
involved	O
in	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
,	O
including	O
patients	O
and	O
carers	O
,	O
need	O
to	O
be	O
established	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
rights	O
and	O
responsibilities	O
of	O
the	O
different	O
stakeholders	O
involved	O
in	O
connected	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
also	O
need	O
to	O
be	O
better	O
identified	O
and	O
highlighted	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lupton	O
concludes	O
that	O
despite	O
the	O
innovation	O
of	O
various	O
elements	O
in	O
this	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
area	O
,	O
there	O
are	O
still	O
multiple	O
issues	O
that	O
need	O
to	O
be	O
organized	O
and	O
dealt	O
with	O
for	O
the	O
continuation	O
of	O
the	O
revolution	O
of	O
Digital	B-Application
Health	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
rest	O
of	O
the	O
elements	O
of	O
Digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
that	O
do	O
not	O
fall	O
so	O
squarely	O
into	O
acute	O
or	O
primary	O
care	O
services	O
are	O
listed	O
as	O
the	O
transmission	O
of	O
medical	O
education	O
and	O
information	O
between	O
practitioners	O
and	O
researchers	O
through	O
the	O
utilization	O
of	O
digital	O
technologies	O
and	O
applications	B-Application
that	O
can	O
be	O
employed	O
by	O
doctors	O
for	O
risk-assessment	O
regarding	O
patients	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Devices	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
utilized	O
for	O
the	O
improvement	O
and	O
management	O
of	O
bodily	O
purposes	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
encouragement	O
of	O
the	O
education	O
of	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
to	O
the	O
public	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
also	O
patient-based	O
applications	B-Application
that	O
can	O
be	O
utilized	O
to	O
share	O
information	O
by	O
individual	O
patients	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
encourage	O
the	O
usage	O
of	O
drug	O
trials	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
tracking	O
of	O
outbreaks	O
of	O
disease	O
by	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
mass	O
media	O
that	O
social	O
media	O
has	O
developed	O
has	O
also	O
come	O
about	O
through	O
Digital	B-Application
Health	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
technologies	O
come	O
in	O
many	O
different	O
forms	O
and	O
extend	O
into	O
various	O
parts	O
of	O
healthcare	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
new	O
technologies	O
develop	O
,	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
,	O
as	O
a	O
field	O
,	O
respectively	O
transforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
three	O
most	O
popular	O
domains	O
of	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
technologies	O
include	O
telemedicine	B-Application
,	O
wearable	B-Operating_System
technologies	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
augmented	B-General_Concept
and	O
virtual	B-Application
reality	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Telemedicine	B-Application
is	O
how	O
physicians	O
treat	O
patients	O
remotely	O
and	O
the	O
different	O
technologies	O
needed	O
to	O
make	O
the	O
process	O
more	O
efficient	O
and	O
faster	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
other	O
main	O
side	O
of	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
is	O
data	O
collection	O
and	O
how	O
to	O
provide	O
on-demand	O
medical	O
information	O
for	O
patients	O
,	O
which	O
gave	O
rise	O
to	O
wearables	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wearable	B-Operating_System
technologies	I-Operating_System
hold	O
the	O
promise	O
of	O
bringing	O
personalized	O
data	O
and	O
health-related	O
tracking	O
to	O
all	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
terms	O
of	O
digitized	O
treatment	O
,	O
augmented	B-General_Concept
and	O
virtual	B-Application
reality	I-Application
can	O
create	O
personalized	O
regimens	O
for	O
patients	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
repeated	O
and	O
tailored	O
to	O
treat	O
many	O
conditions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
fact	O
some	O
of	O
these	O
technologies	O
are	O
being	O
propelled	O
by	O
the	O
startup	O
space	O
,	O
which	O
has	O
been	O
followed	O
via	O
Internet	O
or	O
online	O
media	O
sources	O
such	O
as	O
podcasts	O
on	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
entrepreneurs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
National	O
Institute	O
for	O
Health	O
and	O
Care	O
Research	O
(	O
NIHR	O
)	O
has	O
published	O
a	O
review	O
of	O
research	O
on	O
how	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
technologies	O
can	O
help	O
manage	O
health	O
conditions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Telemedicine	B-Application
is	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
broadest	O
areas	O
of	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Telemedicine	B-Application
also	O
covers	O
online	O
health	O
records	O
,	O
where	O
both	O
patients	O
and	O
doctors	O
have	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
relevant	O
information	O
at	O
all	O
times	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wearable	B-Operating_System
technology	I-Operating_System
comes	O
in	O
many	O
forms	O
,	O
including	O
smartwatches	B-Application
and	O
on-body	O
sensors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Smartwatches	B-Application
were	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
wearable	B-Operating_System
devices	I-Operating_System
that	O
promoted	O
self-monitoring	O
and	O
were	O
typically	O
associated	O
with	O
fitness	O
tracking	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Beyond	O
smartwatches	B-Application
,	O
researchers	O
are	O
developing	O
smart-related	O
bodywear	O
,	O
like	O
patches	O
,	O
clothes	O
,	O
and	O
accessories	O
,	O
to	O
administer	O
"	O
on-demand	O
drug	O
release	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
,	O
augmented	B-General_Concept
reality	I-General_Concept
technology	O
enhances	O
real-world	O
experiences	O
with	O
computerized	O
sensory	O
information	O
and	O
is	O
used	O
to	O
build	O
smart	B-Device
devices	I-Device
for	O
healthcare	O
professionals	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
the	O
majority	O
of	O
patient-related	O
information	O
now	O
comes	O
from	O
hand-held	B-Application
devices	I-Application
,	O
smart	O
glasses	O
provide	O
a	O
new	O
,	O
hands-free	O
augmented	B-General_Concept
way	O
for	O
a	O
doctor	O
to	O
view	O
their	O
patient	O
's	O
medical	O
history	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
applications	B-Application
of	O
this	O
technology	O
can	O
extend	O
into	O
data-driven	O
diagnosis	O
,	O
augmented	B-General_Concept
patient	O
documentation	O
,	O
or	O
even	O
enhanced	O
treatment	O
plans	O
,	O
all	O
by	O
wearing	O
a	O
pair	O
of	O
smart	O
glasses	O
when	O
treating	O
a	O
patient	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
similar	O
technology	O
space	O
is	O
virtual	B-Application
reality	I-Application
,	O
which	O
creates	O
interactive	O
simulations	O
that	O
mimic	O
real-life	O
scenarios	O
and	O
can	O
be	O
tailored	O
for	O
personalized	O
treatments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Virtual	B-Application
reality	I-Application
technologies	O
can	O
create	O
various	O
3D	O
environments	O
that	O
are	O
difficult	O
to	O
replace	O
in	O
real-life	O
but	O
are	O
necessary	O
to	O
help	O
patients	O
retrain	O
their	O
motor	O
movements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computational	B-Application
simulations	I-Application
,	O
modeling	O
,	O
and	O
machine	O
learning	O
(	O
e.g.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
medical	O
imaging	O
,	O
the	O
applications	B-Application
for	O
this	O
technology	O
helps	O
healthcare	O
professionals	O
visualize	O
genes	O
,	O
brain	O
structures	O
,	O
and	O
many	O
other	O
components	O
of	O
human	O
anatomy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mobile	B-Device
health	I-Device
(	O
or	O
mhealth	B-Device
)	O
is	O
the	O
practice	O
of	O
medicine	O
and	O
public	O
health	O
supported	O
by	O
mobile	B-Application
devices	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Health	O
systems	O
engineering	O
is	O
another	O
subset	O
of	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
that	O
leverages	O
other	O
engineering	O
industries	O
to	O
improve	O
upon	O
applications	B-Application
include	O
knowledge	O
discovery	O
,	O
decision	O
making	O
,	O
optimization	O
,	O
human	O
factors	O
engineering	O
,	O
quality	O
engineering	O
,	O
and	O
information	O
technology	O
and	O
communication	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Speech	O
and	O
hearing	O
systems	O
for	O
natural	B-Language
language	I-Language
processing	I-Language
,	O
speech	B-Application
recognition	I-Application
techniques	O
,	O
and	O
medical	O
devices	O
can	O
aid	O
in	O
speech	O
and	O
hearing	O
(	O
e.g.	O
</s>
<s>
National	O
electronic	B-Application
health	I-Application
record	I-Application
(	O
EHR	O
)	O
systems	O
National	O
digital	O
programs	O
exist	O
to	O
support	O
healthcare	O
,	O
form	O
meaningful	O
indicators	O
,	O
and	O
facilitate	O
population-based	O
studies	O
by	O
providing	O
clinically	O
procured	O
data	O
in	O
an	O
open-source	O
and	O
standardized	O
digital	O
format	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
2014	O
,	O
75%	O
of	O
Canadian	O
physicians	O
were	O
using	O
electronic	B-Application
medical	I-Application
records	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Uganda	O
and	O
Mozambique	O
,	O
partnerships	O
between	O
patients	O
with	O
cell	O
phones	O
,	O
local	O
and	O
regional	O
governments	O
,	O
technologists	O
,	O
non-governmental	O
organizations	O
,	O
academia	O
,	O
and	O
industry	O
have	O
enabled	O
mHealth	B-Device
solutions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
,	O
the	O
National	O
Health	O
Service	O
(	O
NHS	O
)	O
has	O
commissioned	O
a	O
report	O
on	O
how	O
to	O
integrate	O
digital	B-Application
healthcare	I-Application
technologies	O
into	O
the	O
next	O
generation	O
of	O
medicine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
innovation	O
process	O
for	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
is	O
an	O
iterative	O
cycle	O
for	O
technological	O
solutions	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
classified	O
into	O
five	O
main	O
activity	O
processes	O
from	O
the	O
identification	O
of	O
the	O
healthcare	O
problem	O
,	O
research	O
,	O
digital	O
solution	O
,	O
and	O
evaluating	O
the	O
solution	O
,	O
to	O
implementation	O
in	O
working	O
clinical	O
practices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
may	O
incorporate	O
methods	O
and	O
tools	O
adopted	O
by	O
software	B-General_Concept
engineering	I-General_Concept
,	O
such	O
as	O
design	O
thinking	O
and	O
agile	O
software	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2019	O
,	O
the	O
FDA	O
published	O
a	O
Digital	B-Application
Health	I-Application
Innovation	O
Action	O
Plan	O
that	O
would	O
reduce	O
inefficiencies	O
for	O
physicians	O
in	O
an	O
effort	O
to	O
cut	O
overhead	O
costs	O
,	O
improve	O
access	O
,	O
increase	O
quality	O
of	O
service	O
,	O
and	O
make	O
medicine	O
more	O
easily	O
adapted	O
for	O
each	O
person	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Topics	O
within	O
the	O
innovation	O
plan	O
are	O
wireless	O
devices	O
,	O
telemedicine	B-Application
,	O
software	O
,	O
and	O
cybersecurity	O
,	O
among	O
others	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
an	O
intergovernmental	O
level	O
,	O
the	O
World	O
Health	O
Organization	O
is	O
the	O
United	O
Nations	O
Specialized	O
Agency	O
for	O
health	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
International	O
Telecommunication	O
Union	O
is	O
the	O
UN	O
Specialized	O
Agency	O
for	O
ICTs	O
,	O
the	O
Agencies	O
collaborate	O
in	O
their	O
work	O
on	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
H.870	O
standard	O
on	O
safe	O
listening	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
ITU-WHO	O
Focus	O
Group	O
on	O
Artificial	B-Application
Intelligence	I-Application
for	O
Health	O
,	O
a	O
subsidiary	O
of	O
the	O
ITU-T	O
Study	O
Group	O
16	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
transition	O
from	O
traditional	O
healthcare	O
to	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
,	O
the	O
amount	O
of	O
access	O
to	O
high	O
quality	O
health	O
technology	O
and	O
medical	O
records	O
and	O
studies	O
increased	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
the	O
article	O
,	O
Digital	B-Application
Health	I-Application
is	O
a	O
Cultural	O
Transformation	O
of	O
Traditional	O
Healthcare	O
from	O
the	O
National	O
Library	O
of	O
Medicine	O
,	O
"	O
The	O
success	O
of	O
providing	O
care	O
depends	O
on	O
collaboration	O
,	O
empathy	O
and	O
shared	O
decision	O
making	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2018	O
,	O
the	O
World	O
Health	O
Organization	O
passed	O
a	O
global	O
strategy	O
for	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
other	O
main	O
goals	O
for	O
the	O
strategy	O
were	O
to	O
increase	O
the	O
implementation	O
of	O
national	O
strategies	O
towards	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
,	O
and	O
to	O
increase	O
authority	O
over	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
from	O
global	O
to	O
national	O
levels	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
World	O
Health	O
Organization	O
also	O
made	O
guidelines	O
in	O
regulating	O
certifying	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
medical	O
devices	O
similar	O
to	O
how	O
medicine	O
and	O
vaccines	O
are	O
tested	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
strategy	O
was	O
also	O
made	O
to	O
list	O
health	B-General_Concept
data	I-General_Concept
as	O
a	O
public	O
health	O
good	O
,	O
and	O
made	O
an	O
outline	O
for	O
how	O
research	O
and	O
data	O
are	O
shared	O
,	O
and	O
how	O
Artificial	B-Application
Intelligence	I-Application
is	O
used	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
even	O
endorsed	O
people-centered	O
health	O
systems	O
that	O
used	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	O
World	O
Health	O
Organization	O
was	O
pushing	O
their	O
strategy	O
,	O
other	O
groups	O
are	O
also	O
developing	O
strategies	O
to	O
make	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
more	O
available	O
in	O
communities	O
that	O
do	O
n't	O
have	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Before	O
this	O
strategy	O
was	O
published	O
,	O
the	O
World	O
Health	O
Organization	O
made	O
a	O
plan	O
around	O
the	O
beginning	O
of	O
2015	O
to	O
use	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
to	O
end	O
Tuberculosis	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
was	O
a	O
need	O
for	O
a	O
step	O
to	O
step	O
plan	O
to	O
include	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
for	O
the	O
End	O
TB	O
Strategy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Digital	B-Application
healthcare	I-Application
presents	O
a	O
wide	O
range	O
of	O
complex	O
and	O
sometimes	O
novel	O
regulatory	O
challenges	O
,	O
including	O
questions	O
about	O
how	O
to	O
balance	O
public	O
interest	O
concerns	O
against	O
an	O
individual	O
's	O
right	O
to	O
privacy	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
risks	O
of	O
'	O
pseudo-experts	O
'	O
providing	O
medical	O
advice	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meanwhile	O
,	O
the	O
explosion	O
in	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
uses	O
and	O
applications	B-Application
seen	O
during	O
the	O
COVID-19	O
pandemic	O
has	O
also	O
brought	O
to	O
light	O
the	O
limitations	O
of	O
existing	O
legislation	O
and	O
other	O
regulatory	O
tools	O
to	O
grapple	O
with	O
these	O
concerns	O
(	O
or	O
,	O
in	O
some	O
cases	O
,	O
been	O
enabled	O
by	O
changes	O
in	O
legislation	O
that	O
groups	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Varieties	O
of	O
Democracy	O
have	O
argued	O
have	O
produced	O
a	O
'	O
pandemic	O
backslide	O
 '	O
in	O
human	O
rights	O
protections	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
a	O
global	O
level	O
,	O
the	O
implementation	O
of	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
solutions	O
depends	O
on	O
large	O
data	O
sets	O
,	O
ranging	O
from	O
simple	O
statistics	O
that	O
record	O
every	O
birth	O
and	O
death	O
to	O
more	O
sophisticated	O
metrics	O
that	O
track	O
diseases	O
,	O
outbreaks	O
,	O
and	O
chronic	O
conditions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Given	O
the	O
personal	O
nature	O
of	O
the	O
data	O
being	O
collected	O
,	O
a	O
crucial	O
debate	O
has	O
arisen	O
amongst	O
stake-holders	O
about	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
challenges	O
induced	O
by	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
solutions	O
:	O
the	O
ownership	O
of	O
health	B-General_Concept
data	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
most	O
cases	O
,	O
governments	O
and	O
big	B-Application
data	I-Application
and	O
technology	O
companies	O
are	O
storing	O
citizens	O
 '	O
medical	O
information	O
,	O
leaving	O
many	O
concerned	O
with	O
how	O
their	O
data	O
is	O
being	O
used	O
and/or	O
who	O
has	O
access	O
to	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
notable	O
example	O
of	O
a	O
data	O
privacy	O
breach	O
in	O
the	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
space	O
took	O
place	O
in	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	O
faced	O
a	O
major	O
lawsuit	O
over	O
a	O
data-sharing	O
agreement	O
that	O
gave	O
its	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
arm	O
,	O
DeepMind	O
,	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
personal	O
health	B-General_Concept
data	I-General_Concept
of	O
1.6	O
million	O
British	O
patients	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Researchers	O
from	O
Stanford	O
University	O
proposed	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
such	O
a	O
framework	O
,	O
to	O
think	O
about	O
data	O
and	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
AI	B-Application
;	O
they	O
were	O
thinking	O
about	O
radiology	O
data	O
specifically	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thirdly	O
,	O
patient	O
consent	O
would	O
n’t	O
necessarily	O
be	O
required	O
before	O
the	O
data	O
is	O
used	O
for	O
secondary	O
purposes	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
AI	B-Application
development	O
and	O
training	O
and	O
testing	O
,	O
as	O
long	O
as	O
there	O
are	O
mechanisms	O
in	O
place	O
to	O
ensure	O
that	O
ethical	O
standards	O
are	O
being	O
followed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
becomes	O
more	O
prevalent	O
in	O
our	O
society	O
,	O
those	O
who	O
lack	O
strong	O
digital	O
skills	O
and	O
the	O
technical	O
know-how	O
needed	O
to	O
navigate	O
these	O
platforms	O
will	O
be	O
put	O
at	O
a	O
disadvantage	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Not	O
to	O
mention	O
,	O
seniors	O
are	O
more	O
prone	O
to	O
chronic	O
health	O
issues	O
,	O
meaning	O
that	O
they	O
are	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
groups	O
that	O
has	O
the	O
greatest	O
need	O
for	O
a	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
platform	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
barriers	O
to	O
access	O
include	O
a	O
lack	O
of	O
basic	O
digital	O
literacy	O
required	O
to	O
use	O
many	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
age	O
of	O
the	O
COVID-19	O
pandemic	O
,	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
platforms	O
as	O
a	O
means	O
to	O
contain	O
the	O
spread	O
of	O
the	O
disease	O
has	O
been	O
accelerated	O
worldwide	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
some	O
studies	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
one	O
by	O
the	O
Asian	O
Development	O
Bank	O
)	O
have	O
suggests	O
that	O
such	O
programs	O
have	O
been	O
beneficial	O
in	O
combating	O
spread	O
,	O
some	O
critics	O
worry	O
have	O
continued	O
to	O
express	O
strong	O
concerns	O
about	O
the	O
potential	O
loss	O
of	O
civil	O
liberties	O
associated	O
with	O
individuals	O
handing	O
over	O
their	O
private	O
health	B-General_Concept
data	I-General_Concept
to	O
government	O
entities	O
;	O
this	O
includes	O
whether	O
new	O
or	O
emergency	O
regulations	O
will	O
stay	O
in	O
place	O
in	O
a	O
post-pandemic	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2009	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
amended	O
with	O
the	O
Health	O
Information	O
Technology	O
for	O
Economic	O
and	O
Clinical	O
Health	O
(	O
HITECH	O
)	O
Act	O
which	O
seeks	O
to	O
examine	O
personal	O
health	B-General_Concept
data	I-General_Concept
privacy	O
laws	O
through	O
the	O
lens	O
of	O
the	O
private	O
sector	O
and	O
increase	O
enforcement	O
of	O
HIPAA	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
major	O
companies	O
like	O
Facebook	O
and	O
Apple	O
moving	O
into	O
digital	B-Application
health	I-Application
,	O
critics	O
question	O
whether	O
existing	O
regulations	O
are	O
comprehensive	O
enough	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
used	O
E-health	O
applications	B-Application
worldwide	O
is	O
electronic	B-Application
medical	I-Application
records	I-Application
(	O
EMRs	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Electronic	B-Application
medical	I-Application
records	I-Application
have	O
multiple	O
functions	O
in	O
the	O
medical	O
field	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Electronic	B-Application
medical	I-Application
records	I-Application
are	O
the	O
technological	O
replacement	O
for	O
paper-based	O
documentation	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
not	O
only	O
labor	O
intensive	O
but	O
also	O
repetitive	O
,	O
inaccurate	O
at	O
times	O
,	O
and	O
can	O
consume	O
a	O
lot	O
of	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Electronic	B-Application
health	I-Application
records	I-Application
(	O
EHRs	B-Application
)	O
are	O
another	O
E-health	O
application	O
used	O
by	O
physicians	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
despite	O
the	O
many	O
similarities	O
in	O
both	O
health	O
applications	B-Application
,	O
they	O
are	O
not	O
the	O
same	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
main	O
difference	O
between	O
the	O
two	O
is	O
that	O
EHRs	B-Application
have	O
an	O
additional	O
feature	O
which	O
includes	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
share	O
the	O
data	O
for	O
multiple	O
authorized	O
physicians	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Due	O
to	O
the	O
initial	O
gap	O
between	O
the	O
expectations	O
and	O
performances	O
of	O
electronic	B-Application
medical	I-Application
records	I-Application
,	O
they	O
are	O
frowned	O
upon	O
by	O
clinicians	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Electronic	B-Application
medical	I-Application
records	I-Application
still	O
have	O
positive	O
and	O
negative	O
implications	O
for	O
the	O
medical	O
field	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
also	O
negative	O
consequences	O
of	O
using	O
electronic	B-Application
medical	I-Application
records	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
implementation	O
of	O
EMRs	O
would	O
not	O
be	O
possible	O
at	O
locations	O
that	O
lack	O
the	O
resources	O
to	O
instruct	O
physicians	O
in	O
charge	O
of	O
using	O
the	O
new	O
E-health	O
applications	B-Application
,	O
especially	O
in	O
smaller	O
or	O
solo	O
clinics	O
.	O
</s>
