Harnessing the Power of Technology to Improve Health
By Mario Bozzo
Date
March 31, 2017
With NHS England rethinking how health can be delivered by launching initiatives such as the Healthy New Towns programme, it is important to recognise the role of digital technology in shaping the future of healthcare. When considering this paradigm shift towards community wellness, it is important to ask the question – at what scale and pace can digital health enable better health outcomes?
Digital technology does and cannot not happen in isolation – many wider health initiatives influence, or are influenced by digital implementations. We must make it our business to connect the dots and put the pieces of the puzzle together. The power of integrating many complementary health initiatives into a cohesive story and corresponding implementation should not be underestimated.
A translation service is required – to succeed, digital healthcare initiatives need to be translated, from a management perspective. This is so that informed investment decisions and commitment can be made by the healthcare provider, and for the citizen, to ensure the offering and benefit is clearly made and understood.
NHS England’s Sustainability and Transformation Plan process is an ideal platform for digital health to make its mark on society and to enable better health outcomes, by assisting in implementing new models of care and facilitating a more effective and efficient delivery of health service.
