Porto, Portugal – 5 September 2023
The adoption of digital solutions in health care has increased across the WHO European Region in recent years, changing the way patients receive care at primary care facilities, hospitals and their homes. Digital solutions are transforming the way health-care professionals diagnose and treat conditions ranging from cancer to diabetes and mental health. Now, countries need to step up investments in digital health technologies and platforms to expand access to digital health for all.
A new report, “Digital health in the European Region: the ongoing journey to commitment and transformation”, being launched today in Porto, Portugal, at the Second WHO Symposium on the Future of Health Systems in a Digital Era in the European Region, covers all 53 Member States of the Region. While in many countries the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the creation and use of digital health tools and policies in response to lockdowns and social distancing, including telemedicine and user-friendly health apps, the report underscores that there is still much work to be done.
The two-day gathering, co-hosted by the Portuguese Ministry of Health, brings together more than 500 participants – including government and civil society representatives, digital health experts and other stakeholders – to better understand and discuss how countries and the industry can work together to address the existing gaps in digital health. With the report, the Regional Office aims to maximize the positive aspects of rapidly evolving technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), while mitigating against the potential risks and negative impacts associated with these important innovations.
Digital health divide
A key risk is the digital health divide being created because of the uneven deployment and uptake of digital solutions. This means that millions of people region-wide are still unable to benefit from digital health technology. This inequity urgently needs to be addressed through targeted investment in technology and by building the skills and capacities of health providers so that everyone can both access and use digital health technology confidently, particularly those most likely to benefit.
“It is a sad irony that people with limited or no digital skills are often the ones who stand to gain the most from digital health tools and interventions – like older persons or rural communities. Addressing this imbalance is necessary for the digital transformation of the health sector,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “It’s clear that digital health is the present and future of our health systems, but just as with the adoption of any new technology, there are normally winners and losers. That’s why it’s all the more critical that with digital health, a flagship of the WHO European Programme of Work, we ensure everyone wins, everyone benefits, and no one is left behind.”
The report shows that the vast majority of countries in the Region (44) have a national digital health strategy. Importantly, all 53 Member States have legislation safeguarding the privacy of personal data.
But the report also highlights significant gaps and areas for improvement:
- Only 19 countries have developed guidance on how to evaluate digital health interventions, which is vital to ensure they are safe and effective.
- Just over half the countries in the Region have developed policies for digital health literacy and implemented a digital inclusion plan.
- Thirty countries have introduced legislation to support telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Many countries still lack a dedicated entity responsible for oversight of mobile health (mHealth) apps, in terms of quality, safety and reliability, with just 15% reporting evaluations of government-sponsored mHealth programmes.
- Slightly more than half of the countries have developed a data strategy regulating the use of Big Data and advanced analytics in the health sector.
“We find ourselves at an exciting moment, the intersection of health, well-being and technology, where digital tools and health care meet,” said Dr Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, Director for Country Health Policies and Systems, WHO Regional Office for Europe. “Our report clearly shows both our progress and where we now need to focus our attention: on making sure people can trust digital health tools, and that everyone, everywhere, can access them equally. This requires a particular focus on women and girls who are, in many societies, often excluded when it comes to accessing the latest advances in technology. Closing the digital skills gender gap is critical to leverage the potential health benefits such technologies can bring for women and girls, and through them their communities, and wider society.”
The road to digital health transformation
The report emphasizes three top recommendations as prerequisites for countries to strengthen health systems by improving digital health solutions:
- Provide access to reliable, low-cost broadband for every household and every community.
- Ensure health data are safe and secure to help build and maintain trust in digital health tools and interventions.
- Make digital health tools, including electronic patient records, inter-operable within and between countries.
“The European Region can – and should – be a leader in digital health,” concluded Dr Kluge. “Our report shows the Region is starting from a strong position, though the health sector is still a long way behind other sectors. In many countries, digital health programmes have so far developed on an ad-hoc basis and this needs to change. To realize the full potential of digital health, it needs to be seen as a strategic long-term investment rather than an add-on or a luxury for the few. This calls for political will at the highest levels of government and health, to ensure optimal investments in digital health infrastructure of the future now, rather than later. We have exciting, life-changing opportunities before us, underpinned by the principles of equity and health for all.”