Anastasiadou Olympia, Tsipouras Markos, Mpogiatzidis Panagiotis, Angelidis Pantelis
Nursing Department, General Hospital of G. Gennimatas, 54635 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, Ypatias 59 Anw Touba, 54351 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Healthcare (Basel). 2025 Apr 12;13(8):889. doi: 10.3390/healthcare13080889.
The transformation of healthcare systems during crises, particularly demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizes the urgent need for effective research methodologies to evaluate digital healthcare innovations. These methodologies are essential in addressing the rapid shift in healthcare service delivery modalities, responding to unprecedented challenges that have revealed both opportunities and barriers within the digital ecosystem. For this review, research was carried out on the Medline/PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases to locate articles published from 2015 to 2024, using the search terms digital health, digital technologies, management implications, and digital platforms. The inclusion criteria referred to studies that were directly related to the topic, available in the English language, and published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. The exclusion parameters were as follows: (a) articles not relevant to the topic as defined in the purpose of the review, (b) systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and (c) articles published in a language other than English. Key findings indicate that, while digital health technologies have the potential to mitigate healthcare disparities, they often exacerbate existing inequities, especially among vulnerable populations lacking consistent access to technology. Furthermore, the shift towards digital platforms has revealed significant gaps in workforce training and support, which are essential for effective implementation. This review underscores the financial implications, with expenditures rising significantly due to the increased use of digital services, reflecting a broader trend noted in studies of related health conditions. Moreover, discussions on public health governance suggest a critical need for democratic frameworks to support such digital transformations effectively.
危机期间医疗保健系统的转型,尤其是在新冠疫情期间所展现出的,凸显了对有效研究方法的迫切需求,以评估数字医疗创新。这些方法对于应对医疗服务提供模式的迅速转变、应对前所未有的挑战至关重要,这些挑战揭示了数字生态系统中的机遇与障碍。在本次综述中,我们在Medline/PubMed、Scopus和谷歌学术数据库中进行了研究,以查找2015年至2024年发表的文章,使用的搜索词为数字健康、数字技术、管理影响和数字平台。纳入标准涉及与该主题直接相关、英文可用且发表在同行评审科学期刊上的研究。排除参数如下:(a)与综述目的中定义的主题无关的文章,(b)系统综述和荟萃分析,以及(c)非英文发表的文章。主要研究结果表明,虽然数字健康技术有潜力缓解医疗保健差距,但它们往往会加剧现有的不平等,尤其是在那些无法持续获得技术的弱势群体中。此外,向数字平台的转变揭示了劳动力培训和支持方面的重大差距,而这对于有效实施至关重要。本综述强调了财务影响,由于数字服务使用的增加,支出显著上升,这反映了相关健康状况研究中指出的更广泛趋势。此外,关于公共卫生治理的讨论表明,迫切需要民主框架来有效支持此类数字转型。