INCREASING DIGITAL HEALTH TRENDS AS A SOLUTION TO LAST-MILE HEALTH PROBLEMS

By Paul Crook (Mobiklinic Lead Technical Advisor and Non-Executive director)

By Paul Crook

“It is apparent ‘last mile’ is granting the wrong impression since it is not just the physical infrastructure blocking access to quality health care”

Outreach has been tried, but the real shift was facilitated by digital engagement. A number of Global actors have sought to take digitalization as their own thinking, but the means are wholly driven by the private sector. The reduction in cost for the hardware and the almost exponential growth in quality coverage for mobile telephony networks has sponsored fresh thinking. Fresh thinking, regularly sponsored by the capability to turn a penny, and earn a living, as markets have not just changed but been created.

Digitalization has allowed costeffective delivery of a multitude of services. Digitalization has offered the opportunity to liberate people from the barriers of geography, cause fresh thinking on the lack of investment in people and structures offering a comprehensive approach to health and challenge the hegemony on poor supply of health provision.

Digitisation is best known for cash-based programming and how mobile money has taken on fresh dynamics, for good and for bad, across East Africa where cash distributions are being confused with the development of proper social protection. This is where the elements of health provision come forward. Digital health is not going to offer open heart surgery but what it does do is change the dynamics along the continuum of promotive and preventive working where people can take responsibility for themselves or skill up to address the preventable.

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Digital Health: A Potential Catalyst for Universal Health Coverage

CHIEF EXECUTIVE Officer—MobiKlinic Foundation

By Andrew Ddembe

When asked about the potential of digital health at the digital health innovation summit in San Francisco in 2014, Aiden Petrie (a prominent English innovator) had this to say and I quote verbatim, “Early disease detection is where digital health could make a difference.” Like Aiden, different people have different perspectives about the potential of digital health. It goes without saying that the more the world gets technologized, the more all services have to adapt to the positive trend. Beyond simply trending, technology gives us an avenue to solve some of the world’s biggest problems. Digital health has enormous potential in simplifying and unlocking health access for millions of people.

For the benefit of those who may not be well versed in the term digital health, let me define it.

Digital health is simply any technology that uses computing platforms, connectivity, software, and sensors for health care and related uses. These technologies span a wide range of uses, from applications in general wellness to applications as medical devices.

This fast-growing industry of digital health can enable today’s world to achieve universal health coverage. Universal health coverage means that all people have access to the full range of quality health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship. It covers the full continuum of essential health services, from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care.

At Mobiklinic, we have demonstrated the power of digital health even in low-income areas. Digital health has the potential to prevent disease and lower healthcare costs while helping patients monitor and manage chronic conditions.

To read more on this visit, read the Mobiklinic Report