Week — 6 Commentary
Digital Health: Experience, Technology and Network
Today science and technology have come to play a key role in almost every branch of human health activity and wellbeing. The tremendous advancement in medical science and information communication technology have made almost everything possible.
The digitalization of healthcare become essential in today’s world. Digital technology has provided us with the range of self-tracking devices or application to help us to boost our well-being and also included videos like right posture while using your computer or laptop, diet plan, and many more. People can potentially connect with their GP surgery and can be booking appointments through options or repeat the prescriptions with the application.
Moreover, Minna Ruckenstein (2015), describe that Technological devices for self-tracking include scales, pedometers, sleep trackers, mood trackers, emotion trackers, and heart-rate variability measuring devices. These devices are linked to the notion that self-monitoring tools, as they continue to enter daily use, offer an effective opportunity for people to understand their own lives as sets of numerical phenomena that can be examined and acted upon. As nowadays there are numerous self-monitoring online applications available on mobile phones so people can get knowledge of their health issues as well as become aware of serious diseases.
Furthermore, people are able to access their medical record online, along with the other information and services, through just one application or a website. Also, perhaps in the future through the GP practice, people can bring together information with any hospitals and eventually they assess any social or community care. The record will also be available to appropriate doctors involved in care. The doctor can securely share, see your information and give feedback.
However, anyone can get benefits of ‘Digital health’ but they must have the knowledge of the Digital technology. According to “(Broadbent & Papadopoulos 2011)” the lack of access to information and communication technology (ICT) or the ‘digital divide’ severely limits education, employment and economic prospects. Around the globe, almost 70 millions of children are not going to school across the world and the internet service not provided in a rural area or poor countries. As the result, Digital healthcare system only becomes successful more likely in the developed countries. Jyoti & Catherine claim “broadband technology access leads to the internet, which is fast becoming a necessity in everyday life, much like electricity was in the 1930’s.
O’Mara et al. 2010 found in her research about the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Communities’ that Different age groups members and with the different levels of educational background and exposure to English CALD do use and access new and emerging technologies, like the internet and online media platforms, and have the capacity to apply these forms of ICT in ways which are meaningful, positive and useful in their day to day lives.
References:
2010, Sending The Right Message, Victoria university, viewed 8 September, 2018, <https://ilearn.swin.edu.au/bbcswebdav/courses/2018-HS2-MDA80004-232987/OMara%20etal_Sending%20the%20right%20message_ICT%20access%20and%20use_2010.pdf>.
