New report by WHO/Europe and Cetic.br|NIC.br evaluates global digital health monitoring strategies

The use of reliable data and indicators is crucial for governments to measure the progress of digital health; however, the existing metrics and indicators are still insufficient to keep pace with the rapid evolution of the sector. This is highlighted in the new report by WHO/Europe and the Regional Center for Studies on the Development of the Information Society (Cetic.br) of the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br).

The report "Monitoring digital health implementation: A landscape of selected national and international methodologies" provides an updated view of international, regional, and national digital health monitoring efforts. The report surveys the methodological approaches and key indicators collected over the past five years to monitor digital health by institutions such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Commission (EC), the Nordic eHealth Research Network (NeRN), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). The study also presents national digital health monitoring strategies in eight countries, including Brazil, covering three WHO regions during the same period.

Strategic priorities to expand health coverage
The use of information and communication technologies in the health area has expanded substantially in recent years, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telehealth and the digitization of health services. Digital technologies and information systems can be used in health care, aiding in diagnosis and medical care decisions; in the organization of teams and resources, in the management of hospitals, municipalities, and states; as well as in short and long-term planning, and in evaluating public policies and strategies.

"Digital health and the adoption of information systems in health, with appropriate investment in governance and training, can improve the efficiency and sustainability of health systems. They are essential for providing more affordable, equitable, and better-quality services, besides strengthening public health surveillance, disease prevention, diagnosis, and health system management," says Alexandre Barbosa, Manager of Cetic.br and co-author of the study.

The difficulty in keeping up with the rapid evolution of digital health
Other challenges pointed out in the report are the significant variability in how telehealth is monitored, the need for new indicators to monitor digital health inequalities, and the need for new approaches to measure the impact of public policies.

"It is necessary to advance in the development, in the collection of comparable data, and in a common set of indicators, as well as in the exchange of information and knowledge to measure national levels of digital health maturity," explains Dr. David Novillo-Ortiz, Regional Advisor on Data and Digital Health.

The WHO/Europe's Digital Health Action Plan, launched in September 2022, also recognizes the need to monitor the progress and trends in emerging digital solutions with the potential to optimize health systems and improve people's health.

In particular, the action plan encourages the development of a measurement framework to monitor digital health in the European Region. The plan has been developed with partners and the 53 countries of the WHO European Region and will help countries leverage and expand digital transformation to improve health, as well as align digital technology investment decisions with health system needs.

This content was automatically translated with the support of artificial intelligence.