JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Digital technologies are rapidly transforming healthcare and medicine. In the form of mobile health applications, wearable devices, telehealth, molecular technologies, augmented electronic health records, and associated advanced analytics, these tools are being used to improve patient outcomes and streamline clinical workflows. Beyond the aim to optimize existing workflows in terms of quality, efficiency, and costs, digital health technologies hold even greater potential. Entirely new forms of healthcare are envisioned that are not only more participatory and personalized but also intricately woven into the fabric of patients' everyday lives. This seamless integration, ranging from real-time health monitoring to personalized treatment plans accessible from personal devices, offers profound benefits, including increased access to care and patient engagement, timely interventions, and a more holistic approach to health management. However, developing and implementing effective digital health solutions (DHS), which combine digital technologies with suitable analytics and user-friendly interfaces, involves a variety of challenges including but not limited to technology selection, data integration, regulatory compliance, user adoption, and ongoing maintenance. In this contribution, we target a broad readership spanning healthcare professionals, engineers, developers, and researchers to provide practical guidance and step-by-step recommendations to address common pitfalls and optimize key aspects of DHS design. The focus is not on pure digital technology/hardware implementation for the healthcare sector, but on DHS development in general, including mobile applications and data analytics that build on existing hardware. While not aiming to present exhaustive or project-specific methodologies, our suggested recommendations highlight important generic considerations at each development phase based on lessons learned from real-world studies, from initial scoping and planning through launch and to full sustainability. Core themes identified include the need for human-centered design, rigorous evaluation, ethical oversight, and continuous quality improvement. By combining technology with empathy for end-user needs and perspectives, and maintaining a commitment to safety, efficiency and fairness, we believe that innovators can realize the great potential of digital solutions to transform healthcare delivery. While our guide focuses on opportunities, each recommendation also highlights common risks to avoid. Our proposition is that this succinct and pragmatic guide will support readers in successfully developing digital capabilities to improve healthcare.