Integrated care with digital health innovation: pressing challenges

Abstract

PurposeDigital health care has emerged as one of the most important means to deliver integrated care by care providers in recent years. As the use of digital health increases, there are some pressing issues such as interoperability of data across different healthcare information systems, regulatory environment and security and privacy of patient’s information which need to be discussed and addressed in order to reduce information silos and to ensure efficient and seamless use of digital health technologies. The purpose of this paper is to address these issues.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper the authors outline the key concepts of interoperability, key challenges pertaining in achieving interoperability and concepts of security and privacy in context of digital health models of integrated care.FindingsThe study suggests that standardization of digital health information systems and connecting existing systems to health network, addressing privacy and security related issues through a comprehensive but supportive regulatory environment and educating citizens and healthcare providers are some of the ways to achieve effective use of digital health in models of integrated care.Originality/valueAlthough the concepts of privacy and interoperability are not new, however, as per best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to discuss the challenges and possible actions to meet the objective of achieving integrated care through digital innovation.