The Digital Health New Era: Where We Stand and the Challenges

A special issue of Information (ISSN 2078-2489). This special issue belongs to the section "Information Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 August 2021) | Viewed by 3358

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Rising demand for health, social and informal care services due to the ageing population and a growing burden of chronic diseases, is estimated to increase health and social care expenditure on average by 1–2% of GDP until 2060, at a time of constrained public resources for health and care services. Over recent decades, the health sector has been experiencing a worldwide digital transformation. Several solutions are being developed such as digital services/products to improve diagnostics and therapeutic plans, remote monitoring, medical devices, wearables, Internet of Things and telehealth. Moreover, these solutions will allow the collection and analysis of continually increasing amounts of data from both patients and healthy citizens. Alongside novel promises, new ethical and policy challenges arise. These range from the need to adapt current evidence-based standards, to issues of general data protection regulation, privacy, oversight, accountability and public trust. Moreover, it may also aid health and care systems to overcome challenges like pandemics and other global health catastrophes. Digital health solutions have already shown the ability to support a more equitable and universal access to quality health and social services, to enhance the sustainability, accessibility and affordability of care of health and social systems, as well as to strengthen and scale up health promotion, disease prevention, diagnosis, management, rehabilitation and palliative care. Based on emerging technology, artificial intelligence and machine learning, health and care is under transformation through digital innovations, such as direct-to-consumer wellness products, wearable technology, digital diagnostics and therapies, computerized clinical decision support systems, medical devices, remote patient monitoring and portals, mobile applications and medical devices, new service models such as telemedicine/telehealth, connected care and virtual visits. This review aims to highlight the state-of the-art of digital health, as well as to discuss issues, challenges and opportunities that are associated with digitalization and the impact of big data in medical, clinical and health research.

Dr. Marta Almada
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Digital Health
  • Digitalization
  • Healthcare
  • Big data
  • Ethical issues
  • Machine learning
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Innovation

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

29 pages, 8026 KiB  
Article
Design of Generalized Search Interfaces for Health Informatics
by Jonathan Demelo and Kamran Sedig
Information 2021, 12(8), 317; https://doi.org/10.3390/info12080317 - 6 Aug 2021
Viewed by 2508
Abstract
In this paper, we investigate ontology-supported interfaces for health informatics search tasks involving large document sets. We begin by providing background on health informatics, machine learning, and ontologies. We review leading research on health informatics search tasks to help formulate high-level design criteria. [...] Read more.
In this paper, we investigate ontology-supported interfaces for health informatics search tasks involving large document sets. We begin by providing background on health informatics, machine learning, and ontologies. We review leading research on health informatics search tasks to help formulate high-level design criteria. We use these criteria to examine traditional design strategies for search interfaces. To demonstrate the utility of the criteria, we apply them to the design of ONTology-supported Search Interface (ONTSI), a demonstrative, prototype system. ONTSI allows users to plug-and-play document sets and expert-defined domain ontologies through a generalized search interface. ONTSI’s goal is to help align users’ common vocabulary with the domain-specific vocabulary of the plug-and-play document set. We describe the functioning and utility of ONTSI in health informatics search tasks through a workflow and a scenario. We conclude with a summary of ongoing evaluations, limitations, and future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Digital Health New Era: Where We Stand and the Challenges)
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