Healthcare systems globally are grappling with how best to implement effective and efficient patient-centered care while simultaneously trying to contain runaway costs and provide high quality. This book explores the essential enabling role of digital health, taking a socio-technical perspective and looking at the key facets of technology, people and process in turn.
It examines the opportunities of key digital health components, demystifying digital health and demonstrating how to use its key precepts effectively. The book presents evidence and anecdotes from stakeholders around the world demonstrating the global relevance and the ability of digital health to uplift and upskill care delivery as it is applied commercially. Bridging academic theory and practice, this is a functional and accessible text for all digital health stakeholders.
The text introduces critical issues and is suitable reading for students, practitioners and researchers in digital health and all healthcare related domains.
Section 1: The Fundamentals 1. The evolution of digital health 2. The technology side of digital health 3. The people side of digital health 4. The process side of digital health Section 2: Technology Considerations 5. IoT, Analytics, ML and AI 6. APPs, Platforms, mobile solutions and telehealth 7. AR/VR/MR and 3D printing 8. Exploring the potential of ChatGPT, responsible AI, explainable AI, and generative AI Section 3: The People Considerations 9. Behaviour change, adherence and monitoring 10. User adoption and satisfaction; one size does not fit all 11. Agency theory and stakeholders - the power – knowledge dichotomy 12. Social determinants of health and digital health literacy Section 4:The Process Considerations 13. Value based healthcare and the business value of health IT 14. Process flow, six sigma and TQM 15. Risk management & cyber security 16. Network centric healthcare Section 5: Putting It All Together – Delivering Superior Health & Wellness Care 17. Delivering superior digital health solutions 18. Epilogue
Biography
Nilmini Wickramasinghe is the Optus Chair and Professor of Digital Health at La Trobe University, 2020 Alexander von Humboldt awardee and holds Honorary Professor positions at Epworth HealthCare, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and Northern Health, Australia.
“This book is unique in many ways. Professor Nilmini Wickramasinghe brings to the fore multi-continent experiences which permeate the chapters and give the book global relevance. The sections and associated chapters span the range of contemporary issues in digital health. The result is a useful compendium for a wide range of healthcare stakeholders.”
Professor Doug Vogel, Association for Information Systems Fellow and Past-President, Australasian Institute of Digital Health Fellow, Professor and eHealth Research Institute Director, Harbin Institute of Technology, P.R. China.
"Digital transformation in healthcare is a megatrand that gets momentum rapidly. Beyond striking impacts on medical aspects there are important contextual factors to consider. This book takes a wander through technologies, processes, people, and more involved in this fascinating future."
Professor Freimut Bodendorf, Head of the Management Intelligence Systems of the Institute of Information Systems , Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.
“Professor Nilmini Wickramasinghe, an esteemed leader in Digital Health with national and international acclaim, compiles together her vision, thought leadership, and practical experiences into this very insightful primer that explores the fundamental aspects of Digital Health. I cannot think of anyone more fitting to present this critical topic, effectively bridging the knowledge gaps in technology, people, and processes within the industry. This book assures all healthcare stakeholders a reliable and comprehensive overview, offering valuable guidance in the Digital Health domain.”
Professor Wenny Rahayu, Dean of School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, La Trobe University, Australia.
“We are in an era where we need to reimagine how we deliver far-reaching, high quality and connected healthcare - with greater efficiency and value. Digital solutions are key enabler to support data-navigated analytics and insights to enable adaptive change, business intelligence and strategic prioritisation. However this needs to be achieved through co-design partnerships, to truly release the potential of this rapidly and exponentially advancing technological world. “Primer” recognises the importance of healthcare stakeholders in this relationship and their domain specific knowledge, to navigate context appropriate digital solutions that are fit for purpose and truly transformative.”
A/Prof Kate Burbury MBBS(Hons) FRACP FRCPA DPhil, Executive Director, Digital and Healthcare Innovations, Consultant Haematologist, The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Australia.
