Le numérique et l'infectiologie — Livre blanc du groupe d'infectiologie digitale de la société de pathologie infectieuse de langue française

Abstract

IntroductionDigital health is rapidly developing and supporting the transition to personalized medicine. Implementing digital tools in clinical practice requires multidisciplinary work. In this context, the "Société de Pathologie Infectieuse de Langue Française" has launched the "Groupe d'Infectiologie Digitale" (GID) in 2022. Its aim was to present the specifics of digital infectiology and to identify strategic opportunities. MethodsThe GID met quarterly for a year and a half, with closer meetings for each sub-group. A white paper was drafted. ResultsInfectiology is a transversal specialty integrating multimodal and multiscale data, which benefits from the development of digital tools for care, research and education. After a few definitions, the specificities of infectiology are highlighted, such as epidemics and pathogen emergence, the importance of the community-hospital link, illiteracy among some patients, and confidentiality issues in the context of transmissible diseases. Strategic use cases and points for attention are presented to support the development of digital tools in infectiology. The challenges and limits associated with secondary data reuse and the development of artificial intelligence are highlighted. Finally, we explore potential uses of digital tools in education. ConclusionIt is essential to bridge the gap between medical practice, patients, digital experts and institutions in this rapidly expanding field. The development of similar initiatives at national and European levels would combine efforts to develop validated and useful tools for patients.