Unintended consequences and side effects of digital health technology: apublic health perspective

Abstract

The discussion of digital health technologies, in particular medical and health apps, is currently dominated by afocus on their potential to reach large parts of the population for the dissemination of evidence-based health promotion and prevention content. However, potentially unintended consequences, side effects, and negative effects of digital health technologies are rarely discussed in public health.In this paper, via anarrative literature review, we propose aperspective on unintended consequences and side-effects of digital health technologies on multiple hierarchical levels of asocio-ecological model of health. Unintended consequences and side-effects of digital health technologies can be identified on an individual level, alevel of social relationships, and ahealth services level.We propose abroader conceptualization of unintended consequences and side-effects of digital health technology together with amore thorough documentation of such effects using multiple levels in asocio-ecological approach. This would build acumulative evidence base of unintended effects and shift the focus from development-centered discussion of risks and challenges to a comprehensive conception of side effects and undesirable effects of digital health technologies. The proposed division into three effect levels may be helpful here.