Digital Health Research Articles

Diversity, equity and inclusion considerations in mental health apps for young people: protocol for a scoping review

IntroductionAfter COVID-19, a global mental health crisis affects young people, with one in five youth experiencing mental health problems worldwide. Delivering mental health interventions via mobile devices is a promising...

Spatiotemporal models of dengue epidemiology in the Philippines: Integrating remote sensing and interpretable machine learning

Previous dengue epidemiological analyses have been limited in spatiotemporal extent or covariate dimensions, the latter neglecting the multifactorial nature of dengue. These constraints, caused by rigid and traditional statistical tools which collapse amidst ‘Big Data’, prompt interpretable machine-learning (iML) approaches. Predicting dengue incidence and mortality in the Philippines, a data-limited yet high-burden country, the mlr3 universe of R packages was used to build and optimize ML models based on remotely sensed provincial and dekadal 3 NDVI and 9 rainfall features from 2016 to 2020. Between two tasks, models differ across four random forest-based learners and two clustering strategies. Among 16 candidates, rfsrc-year-case and ranger-year-death significantly perform best for predicting dengue incidence and mortality, respectively. Therefore, temporal clustering yields the best models, reflective of dengue seasonality. The two best models were subjected to tripartite global exploratory model analyses, which encompass model-agnostic post-hoc methods such as Permutation Feature Importance (PFI) and Accumulated Local Effects (ALE). PFI reveals that the models differ in their important explanatory aspect, rainfall for rfsrc-year-case and NDVI for ranger-year-death, among which long-term average (lta) features are most relevant. Trend-wise, ALE reveals that average incidence predictions are positively associated with ‘Rain.lta’, reflective of dengue cases peaking during the wet season. In contrast, those for mortality are negatively associated with ‘NDVI.lta’, reflective of urban spaces driving dengue-related deaths. By technologically addressing the challenges of the human-animal-ecosystem interface, this study adheres to the One Digital Health paradigm operationalized under Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Leveraging data digitization and predictive modeling for epidemiological research paves SDG 3, which prioritizes holistic health and well-being.

Real-World Gait Detection Using a Wrist-Worn Inertial Sensor: Validation Study.

Wrist-worn inertial sensors are used in digital health for evaluating mobility in real-world environments. Preceding the estimation of spatiotemporal gait parameters within long-term recordings, gait detection is an important step to identify regions of interest where gait occurs, which requires robust algorithms due to the complexity of arm movements. While algorithms exist for other sensor positions, a comparative validation of algorithms applied to the wrist position on real-world data sets across different disease populations is missing. Furthermore, gait detection performance differences between the wrist and lower back position have not yet been explored but could yield valuable information regarding sensor position choice in clinical studies. The aim of this study was to validate gait sequence (GS) detection algorithms developed for the wrist position against reference data acquired in a real-world context. In addition, this study aimed to compare the performance of algorithms applied to the wrist position to those applied to lower back-worn inertial sensors. Participants with Parkinson disease, multiple sclerosis, proximal femoral fracture (hip fracture recovery), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and congestive heart failure and healthy older adults (N=83) were monitored for 2.5 hours in the real-world using inertial sensors on the wrist, lower back, and feet including pressure insoles and infrared distance sensors as reference. In total, 10 algorithms for wrist-based gait detection were validated against a multisensor reference system and compared to gait detection performance using lower back-worn inertial sensors. The best-performing GS detection algorithm for the wrist showed a mean (per disease group) sensitivity ranging between 0.55 (SD 0.29) and 0.81 (SD 0.09) and a mean (per disease group) specificity ranging between 0.95 (SD 0.06) and 0.98 (SD 0.02). The mean relative absolute error of estimated walking time ranged between 8.9% (SD 7.1%) and 32.7% (SD 19.2%) per disease group for this algorithm as compared to the reference system. Gait detection performance from the best algorithm applied to the wrist inertial sensors was lower than for the best algorithms applied to the lower back, which yielded mean sensitivity between 0.71 (SD 0.12) and 0.91 (SD 0.04), mean specificity between 0.96 (SD 0.03) and 0.99 (SD 0.01), and a mean relative absolute error of estimated walking time between 6.3% (SD 5.4%) and 23.5% (SD 13%). Performance was lower in disease groups with major gait impairments (eg, patients recovering from hip fracture) and for patients using bilateral walking aids. Algorithms applied to the wrist position can detect GSs with high performance in real-world environments. Those periods of interest in real-world recordings can facilitate gait parameter extraction and allow the quantification of gait duration distribution in everyday life. Our findings allow taking informed decisions on alternative positions for gait recording in clinical studies and public health. ISRCTN Registry 12246987; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN12246987. RR2-10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050785.

Age Unplugged: A Brief Narrative Review on the Intersection of Digital Tools, Sedentary and Physical Activity Behaviors in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

This brief narrative review assesses how digital technologies-such as wearables, mobile health apps, and various digital tools such as computers, game consoles, tablets, smartphones, and extended reality systems-can influence sedentary and physical activity behaviors among community-dwelling older adults. Each section highlights the central role of these technologies in promoting active aging through increased motivation, engagement and customized experiences. It underlines the critical importance of functionality, usability and adaptability of devices and confirms the effectiveness of digital interventions in increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior. The sustainable impact of these technologies needs to be further investigated, with a focus on adapting digital health strategies to the specific needs of older people. The research advocates an interdisciplinary approach and points out that such collaborations are essential for the development of accessible, effective and ethical solutions. This perspective emphasizes the potential of digital tools to improve the health and well-being of the aging population and recommends their strategic integration into health promotion and policy making.

Can a reconstruction algorithm in major acetabular bone loss be successful in revision hip arthroplasty?

The aims of this study were to determine the success of a reconstruction algorithm used in major acetabular bone loss, and to further define the indications for custom-made implants in major acetabular bone loss. We reviewed a consecutive series of Paprosky type III acetabular defects treated according to a reconstruction algorithm. IIIA defects were planned to use a superior augment and hemispherical acetabular component. IIIB defects were planned to receive either a hemispherical acetabular component plus augments, a cup-cage reconstruction, or a custom-made implant. We used national digital health records and registry reports to identify any reoperation or re-revision procedure and Oxford Hip Score (OHS) for patient-reported outcomes. Implant survival was determined via Kaplan-Meier analysis. A total of 105 procedures were carried out in 100 patients (five bilateral) with a mean age of 73 years (42 to 94). In the IIIA defects treated, 72.0% (36 of 50) required a porous metal augment; the remaining 14 patients were treated with a hemispherical acetabular component alone. In the IIIB defects, 63.6% (35 of 55) underwent reconstruction as planned with 20 patients who actually required a hemispherical acetabular component alone. At mean follow-up of 7.6 years, survival was 94.3% (95% confidence interval 97.4 to 88.1) for all-cause revision and the overall dislocation rate was 3.8% (4 of 105). There was no difference observed in survival between type IIIA and type IIIB defects and whether a hemispherical implant alone was used for the reconstruction or not. The mean gain in OHS was 16 points. Custom-made implants were only used in six cases, in patients with either a mega-defect in which the anteroposterior diameter > 80 mm, complex pelvic discontinuity, and massive bone loss in a small pelvis. Our findings suggest that a reconstruction algorithm can provide a successful approach to reconstruction in major acetabular bone loss. The use of custom implants has been defined in this series and accounts for < 5% of cases.

Uso de herramientas digitales en salud en enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal

Objective: To analyse the characteristics and use of digital health tools (DHT) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).Methods: We performed a qualitative study based on a narrative literature review, a questionnaire and on the opinion of 3 expert gastroenterologists. Several searches were carried out until September 2022 through Medline to identify articles on the use of DHT in IBD by healthcare professionals. A structured questionnaire was designed to be answered by health professionals involved in the care of patients with IBD. The experts generated a set of recommendations.Results: There are multiple DHT for IBD with different characteristics and contents. We received 29 questionnaires. Almost 50% of the participants were 41-50 years old, the majority were women (83%) and 90% were gastroenterologists. A total of 96% reported the use of several DHT, but 20% used them occasionally or infrequently. Web pages were found the most used (62%). DHT are mostly used to get information (80%), followed by clinical practice issues (70%) and educational purposes (62%). G-Educainflamatoria website is the best known and most used HDS (96% and 64%, respectively). The main barriers to the use of DHT in IBD were the lack of time (55%), doubts about the benefit of DHT (50%) and the excess of information (40%).Conclusions: Healthcare professionals involved in the care of patients with to IBD frequently use DHT, although actions are needed to optimize their use and to guarantee their efficient and safe use.

Unleashing the potential of digital health: Innovations, challenges, and future perspectives

Unleashing the potential of digital health: Innovations, challenges, and future perspectives

Acceptance and adoption of tele-rehabilitation by physiotherapists from Nigeria, a low resource setting: a mixed-method study

BackgroundAdoption of tele-rehabilitation among physiotherapists in developed countries has risen exponentially to complement conventional physical contact physiotherapy. However, many low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria where barriers to utilization of tele-physiotherapy were earlier identified still demonstrates limited evidence on its acceptance and adoption till date.MethodThis was a mixed-method design of quantitative and qualitative study, aimed at investigating acceptance and adoption of tele-rehabilitation among physiotherapists in Nigeria. Respondents comprised 331 physiotherapists practising in Nigeria and registered with the Medical Rehabilitation Therapists (Registration) Board of Nigeria (MRTB). Quantitative approach involved completion of a 33-item structured questionnaire shared as Google Forms to respondents’ WhatsApp and emails. Qualitative aspect involved in-depth interview with 12 physiotherapists at the clinics, using a 10-item semi-structured interview guide, and recorded with a voice recorder. Quantitative data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics at p < 0.05 alpha level. Qualitative data was analysed using thematic content analysis.ResultsRespondents comprised 172 males and 159 females. Their mean age and years of experience were 33.42 ± 8.95 and 8.86 ± 8.037 years, respectively. Pre-lockdown, only 62 (18.7%) respondents offered tele-physiotherapy. During the 35-day total lockdown, 114 (34.4%) offered tele-physiotherapy. Majority (155 (46.8%)) used smartphone apps. Fifty-seven (17.2%) respondents were confident that tele-rehabilitation can complement conventional physiotherapy, while 72 (21.8%) kept offering post-lockdown. Use of digital technology was highest for patient education (97 (29.3%)), especially for musculoskeletal conditions (85 (25.7%)). There were significant associations between pre-lockdown duties (p = 0.036), post-lockdown duties (p = 0.005) and use of digital health technology (p = 0.001) with respondents’ age. Significant associations also existed between respondents’ years of practice and each of post-lockdown duties (p = 0.017) and use of digital health technology (p = 0.001). Qualitative approach revealed that facilitators to adoption and acceptance of tele-rehabilitation included patient education, training of physiotherapists, availability of evidence-based guidelines and tele-health software and hardware systems. Barriers were lack of or limited technological infrastructures, finances, hospital management support, and knowledge of information and communication technology.ConclusionsPhysiotherapists in Nigeria demonstrated moderate acceptance but low adoption of tele-rehabilitation, in varied comparison with clinicians and physiotherapists in other climes. Training of physiotherapists in tele-rehabilitation and provision of enabling technological environment by regulatory bodies and policy makers are recommended.

Electronic health records and e-prescribing in Australia: An exploration of technological utilisation in Australian community pharmacies

ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the utilisation, benefits, and challenges associated with Electronic Health Records (EHR) and e-prescribing systems in Australian Community Pharmacies, focusing on their integration into daily practice and the impacts on operational efficiency, while also gathering qualitative insights from community pharmacists. MethodsA mixed-methods online survey was carried out among community pharmacists throughout Australia to assess the utilisation of EHR and e-prescribing systems, including the benefits and challenges associated with their use. Data was analysed based on pharmacists' age, gender, and practice location (metropolitan vs. regional). The chi-square test was applied to examine the relationship between these demographic factors and the utilisation and operational challenges of EHR and e-prescribing systems. ResultsThe survey engaged 120 Australian community pharmacists. Of the participants, 67 % reported usability and efficiency issues with EHR systems. Regarding e-prescribing, 58 % of pharmacists faced delays due to slow software performance, while 42 % encountered errors in data transmission. Despite these challenges, the benefits of e-prescribing were evident, with 79 % of respondents noting the elimination of illegible prescriptions and 40 % observing a reduction in their workload. Issues with prescription quantity discrepancies and the reprinting process were highlighted, indicating areas for improvement in workflow and system usability. The analysis revealed no significant statistical relationship between the utilisation and challenges of EHR and e-prescribing systems with the demographic variables of age, gender and location (p > 0.05), emphasising the necessity for healthcare solutions that address the needs of all pharmacists regardless of specific demographic segments. ConclusionIn Australian community pharmacies, EHR and e-prescribing may enhance patient care but come with challenges such as data completeness, technical issues, and usability concerns. Implementing successful integration relies on user-centric design, standardised practices, and robust infrastructure. While demanding for pharmacists, the digital transition improves efficiency and quality of care. Ensuring user-friendly tools is crucial for the smooth utilisation of digital health.

Evolving Adult ADHD Care: Preparatory Evaluation of a Prototype Digital Service Model Innovation for ADHD Care

Background: Given the prevalence of ADHD and the gaps in ADHD care in Australia, this study investigates the critical barriers and driving forces for innovation. It does so by conducting a preparatory evaluation of an ADHD prototype digital service innovation designed to help streamline ADHD care and empower individual self-management. Methods: Semi-structured interviews with ADHD care consumers/participants and practitioners explored their experiences and provided feedback on a mobile self-monitoring app and related service innovations. Interview transcripts were double coded to explore thematic barriers and the enablers for better ADHD care. Results: Fifteen interviews (9 consumers, 6 practitioners) revealed barriers to better ADHD care for consumers (ignorance and prejudice, trust, impatience) and for practitioners (complexity, sustainability). Enablers for consumers included validation/empowerment, privacy, and security frameworks, tailoring, and access. Practitioners highlighted the value of transparency, privacy and security frameworks, streamlined content, connected care between services, and the tailoring of broader metrics. Conclusions: A consumer-centred approach to digital health service innovation, featuring streamlined, private, and secure solutions with enhanced mobile tools proves instrumental in bridging gaps in ADHD care in Australia. These innovations should help to address the gaps in ADHD care in Australia. These innovations should encompass integrated care, targeted treatment outcome data, and additional lifestyle support, whilst recognising the tensions between customised functionalities and streamlined displays.

Redefining the relationship in digital care: A qualitative study of the Digital Therapeutic Alliance

Digital therapeutic programs are emerging almost daily, offering the potential to reduce healthcare access inequalities by providing more flexible and accessible care options. However, as with traditional healthcare, the issue of patient engagement is fundamental, and the latest research have reported that fewer than 30% of users complete these programs in their entirety. Hence, many authors emphasize the importance of studying the role of therapeutic alliances specifically adapted to digital care. The therapeutic alliance encompasses the collaborative aspects of the relationship between the therapist and the patient. In this context there is a need to reconceptualize the alliance within the context of digital healthcare as it can enhance engagement, adherence, and the effectiveness of such treatments. The objective of this qualitative study was to identify the components of the digital therapeutic alliance. A thematic analysis has identified three major themes that appear to constitute the digital therapeutic alliance among 44 users of an online program: trust in the program, perception of interactions, and feeling of consideration. These results prompted a discussion of the challenges of digital healthcare, including the terminology to use. The term “digital therapeutic adherence” is proposed, thereby opening up a field for research and clarification of this important concept distinct from traditional alliance.

Revolutionizing mental health care: exploring the potential of digital mediation in public health

This article addresses the concept of digital public health and explores its application in the field of mental health, focusing on technology mediation as a potential tool to improve care and well-being of individuals. Scientific evidence shows that technological mediation in mental health can have a positive and significant impact on patient outcomes. However, it highlights the importance of addressing equitable access to these digital interventions and collaboration between users and mental health professionals in the design and development of effective solutions. The case of the company Saluta, a digital health center that has led several innovations in mental health through accessible and quality digital platforms, is presented. Finally, strategies are proposed to evaluate the impact of technological mediation in digital health care, including constant monitoring of results, research with solid scientific evidence, and the involvement of users in the design and evaluation process.

Relationship between digital oral health literacy and digital device utilization among adults in Gangwon-do

Objectives: This study aimed to identify the level of digital oral health literacy among Korean adults in Gangwon-do. Methods: A survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with adults aged 30–89 residing in Gangwon-do, South Korea. The independent variables were socio-demographic characteristics, including gender, age, education level, income, and occupation. The dependent variable was digital oral health literacy. The statistical analysis included Independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis, all performed using the SPSS 27.0 software program. Results: The elderly and those with poor socioeconomic status (p&lt;0.001) had lower average scores due to poor digital oral health literacy. The ease of searching for oral health information and the utilization of digital devices to search for information on oral health displayed a significant relationship (r=0.730, p&lt;0.001). To develop the use of digital devices, simplifying the search for oral information (p&lt;0.001) is essential. Conclusions: All socio-demographic characteristics, except gender, displayed a correlation with the level of digital oral health literacy. Both environmental and individual aspects of the respondents’ living conditions must be considered to improve digital oral health literacy.

Advancements and challenges in digital health implementation in India: A comprehensive literature review

Digital health has emerged as a promising solution to address healthcare challenges in India, offering innovative tools and technologies to improve access, delivery, and outcomes. This comprehensive literature review provides a detailed analysis of the current state of digital health implementation in India, exploring advancements, challenges, policy initiatives, and future prospects. Drawing upon a wide range of academic literature, government reports, and industry publications, this paper examines key themes such as telemedicine, mobile health (mHealth), electronic health records (EHRs), health information exchanges (HIEs), government initiatives, challenges, and future directions in digital health. By synthesizing existing research, this paper aims to provide insights into the opportunities and barriers associated with digital health in India and offers recommendations for policymakers, healthcare providers, and stakeholders to leverage digital technologies effectively to improve healthcare delivery in the country.

Digital Health Education for the Future: The SaNuRN (Santé Numérique Rouen-Nice) Consortium's Journey.

SaNuRN is a five-year project by the University of Rouen Normandy (URN) and the Côte d’Azur University (CAU) consortium to optimize digital health education for medical and paramedical students, professionals, and administrators. The project includes a skills framework, training modules, and teaching resources. In 2027, SaNuRN is expected to train a significant portion of the 400,000 health and paramedical professions students at the French national level. Our purpose is to give a synopsis of the SaNuRN initiative, emphasizing its novel educational methods and how they will enhance the delivery of digital health education. Our goals include showcasing SaNuRN as a comprehensive program consisting of a proficiency framework, instructional modules, and educational materials and explaining how SaNuRN is implemented in the participating academic institutions. SaNuRN is a project aimed at educating and training health-related and paramedics students in digital health. The project results from a cooperative effort between URN and CAU, covering four French departments. The project is based on the French National Referential on Digital Health (FNRDH), which defines the skills and competencies to be acquired and validated by every student in the health, paramedical, and social professions curricula. The SaNuRN team is currently adapting the existing URN and CAU syllabi to FNRDH and developing short-duration video capsules of 20 to 30 minutes to teach all the relevant material. The project aims to ensure that the largest student population earns the necessary skills, and it has developed a two-tier system involving facilitators who will enable the efficient expansion of the project’s educational outreach and support the students in learning the needed material efficiently. With a focus on real-world scenarios and innovative teaching activities integrating telemedicine devices and virtual professionals, SaNuRN is committed to enabling continuous learning for healthcare professionals in clinical practice. The SaNuRN team introduced new ways of evaluating healthcare professionals by shifting from a knowledge-based to a competencies-based evaluation, aligning with the Miller teaching pyramid and using the Objective Structured Clinical Examination and Script Concordance Test in digital health education. Drawing on the expertise of URN, CAU, and their public health and digital research laboratories and partners, the SaNuRN project represents a platform for continuous innovation, including telemedicine training and living labs with virtual and interactive professional activities. The SaNuRN project provides a comprehensive, personalized 30-hour training package for health and paramedical students, addressing all 70 FNRDH competencies. The program is enhanced using AI and NLP to create virtual patients and professionals for digital healthcare simulation. SaNuRN teaching materials are open-access. The project collaborates with academic institutions worldwide to develop educational material in digital health in English and multilingual formats. SaNuRN offers a practical and persuasive training approach to meet the current digital health education requirements.

Digital Health Support: Current Status and Future Development for Enhancing Dialysis Patient Care and Empowering Patients

Chronic kidney disease poses a growing global health concern, as an increasing number of patients progress to end-stage kidney disease requiring kidney replacement therapy, presenting various challenges including shortage of care givers and cost-related issues. In this narrative essay, we explore innovative strategies based on in-depth literature analysis that may help healthcare systems face these challenges, with a focus on digital health technologies (DHTs), to enhance removal and ensure better control of broader spectrum of uremic toxins, to optimize resources, improve care and outcomes, and empower patients. Therefore, alternative strategies, such as self-care dialysis, home-based dialysis with the support of teledialysis, need to be developed. Managing ESKD requires an improvement in patient management, emphasizing patient education, caregiver knowledge, and robust digital support systems. The solution involves leveraging DHTs to automate HD, implement automated algorithm-driven controlled HD, remotely monitor patients, provide health education, and enable caregivers with data-driven decision-making. These technologies, including artificial intelligence, aim to enhance care quality, reduce practice variations, and improve treatment outcomes whilst supporting personalized kidney replacement therapy. This narrative essay offers an update on currently available digital health technologies used in the management of HD patients and envisions future technologies that, through digital solutions, potentially empower patients and will more effectively support their HD treatments.

Radiological Crossroads: Navigating the Intersection of Virtual Reality and Digital Radiology through a Comprehensive Narrative Review of Reviews

The integration of Virtual Reality with radiology is the focus of this study. A narrative review has been proposed to delve into emerging themes within the integration of Virtual Reality in radiology by scrutinizing reviews gathered from PubMed and Scopus. The proposed approach was based on a standard narrative checklist and a qualification process. The selection process identified 20 review studies. Integration of Virtual Reality (VR) in radiology offers potential transformative opportunities also integrated with other emerging technologies. In medical education, VR and AR, using 3D images from radiology, can enhance learning, emphasizing the need for standardized integration. In radiology, VR combined with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) shows promising prospectives to give a complimentary contribution to diagnosis, treatment planning, and education. Challenges in clinical integration and User Interface design must be addressed. Innovations in medical education, like 3D modeling and AI, has the potential to enable personalized learning, but face standardization challenges. While robotics play a minor role, advancements and potential perspectives are observed in neurosurgery and endovascular systems. Ongoing research and standardization efforts are crucial for maximizing the potential of these integrative technologies in healthcare. In conclusion, the synthesis of these findings underscores the opportunities for advancements in digital radiology and healthcare through the integration of VR. However, challenges exist, and continuous research, coupled with technological refinements, is imperative to unlock the full potential of these integrative approaches in the dynamic and evolving field of medical imaging.

Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of a digital technology-driven hierarchical healthcare screening pattern in China

Utilization of digital technologies for cataract screening in primary care is a potential solution for addressing the dilemma between the growing aging population and unequally distributed resources. Here, we propose a digital technology-driven hierarchical screening (DH screening) pattern implemented in China to promote the equity and accessibility of healthcare. It consists of home-based mobile artificial intelligence (AI) screening, community-based AI diagnosis, and referral to hospitals. We utilize decision-analytic Markov models to evaluate the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of different cataract screening strategies (no screening, telescreening, AI screening and DH screening). A simulated cohort of 100,000 individuals from age 50 is built through a total of 30 1-year Markov cycles. The primary outcomes are incremental cost-effectiveness ratio and incremental cost-utility ratio. The results show that DH screening dominates no screening, telescreening and AI screening in urban and rural China. Annual DH screening emerges as the most economically effective strategy with 341 (338 to 344) and 1326 (1312 to 1340) years of blindness avoided compared with telescreening, and 37 (35 to 39) and 140 (131 to 148) years compared with AI screening in urban and rural settings, respectively. The findings remain robust across all sensitivity analyses conducted. Here, we report that DH screening is cost-effective in urban and rural China, and the annual screening proves to be the most cost-effective option, providing an economic rationale for policymakers promoting public eye health in low- and middle-income countries.

Empowering Healthcare through Comprehensive Informatics Education: The Status and Future of Biomedical and Health Informatics Education

Objectives: Education in biomedical and health informatics is essential for managing complex healthcare systems, bridging the gap between healthcare and information technology, and adapting to the digital requirements of the healthcare industry. This review presents the current status of biomedical and health informatics education domestically and internationally and proposes recommendations for future development.Methods: We analyzed evidence from reports and papers to explore global trends and international and domestic examples of education. The challenges and future strategies in Korea were also discussed based on the experts’ opinions.Results: This review presents international recommendations for establishing education in biomedical and health informatics, as well as global examples at the undergraduate and graduate levels in medical and nursing education. It provides a thorough examination of the best practices, strategies, and competencies in informatics education. The review also assesses the current state of medical informatics and nursing informatics education in Korea. We highlight the challenges faced by academic institutions and conclude with a call to action for educators to enhance the preparation of professionals to effectively utilize technology in any healthcare setting.Conclusions: To adapt to the digitalization of healthcare, systematic and continuous workforce development is essential. Future education should prioritize curriculum innovations and the establishment of integrated education programs, focusing not only on students but also on educators and all healthcare personnel in the field. Addressing these challenges requires collaboration among educational institutions, academic societies, government agencies, and international bodies dedicated to systematic and continuous workforce development.

Medical secretaries’ fears and opportunities in an increasingly digitalised workplace environment

PurposeThe purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore how medical secretaries experience digital transformation in a Swedish healthcare organisation, with a focus on workplace climate and health.Design/methodology/approachData were collected using a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design based on grounded theory, with qualitative data collection (a Quality Café and individual interviews) followed by quantitative data collection (a questionnaire).FindingsFour categories with seven underlying factors were identified, emphasising the crucial need for effective organisation of digital transformation. This is vital due to the increased knowledge and skills in utilising technology. The evolving roles and responsibilities of medical secretaries in dynamic healthcare settings should be clearly defined and acknowledged, highlighting the importance of professionality. Ensuring proper training for medical secretaries and other occupations in emerging techniques is crucial, emphasising equal value and knowledge across each role. Associations were found between some factors and the health of medical secretaries.Research limitations/implicationsThis study adds to the knowledge on digital transformation in healthcare by examining an important occupation. Most data were collected online, which may be a limitation of this study.Practical implicationsSeveral aspects of the medical secretaries’ experiences were identified. Knowledge of these is valuable for healthcare managers to make digital transformation more effective while avoiding excessive strain on medical secretaries.Originality/valueMedical secretaries are expected to contribute to the digitalisation of healthcare. However, minimal research has been conducted on the role of medical secretaries in workplace digitalisation, focusing on workplace roles and its dynamics.