Posted: January 11th, 2022

The role of digital self-managed healthcare support systems in the development of quality health care management

The role of digital self-managed healthcare support systems in the development of quality health care management

Health care is one of the most important aspects of human life, and it is constantly evolving with the advancement of technology. One of the emerging trends in health care is the use of digital self-managed healthcare support systems (DSHSS), which are applications or devices that enable individuals to monitor, manage, and improve their own health conditions without relying on professional medical services. DSHSS can provide various functions, such as tracking vital signs, providing personalized feedback, offering health education, facilitating communication with health care providers, and supporting decision making. In this blog post, we will review how DSHSS can change the current health care system and improve the quality of health care management.

Benefits of DSHSS for health care management

DSHSS can offer several benefits for health care management, both for individuals and for the health care system as a whole. Some of the benefits are:

– Empowering individuals to take charge of their own health. DSHSS can help individuals to become more aware of their health status, to set and achieve their own health goals, and to adopt healthy behaviors. This can enhance their self-efficacy, motivation, and satisfaction with their health outcomes. Moreover, DSHSS can enable individuals to access and share their health data with their health care providers, which can improve the continuity and coordination of care.
– Reducing the burden on the health care system. DSHSS can reduce the demand for professional medical services by enabling individuals to manage their own health conditions, especially for chronic diseases that require long-term monitoring and treatment. This can lower the costs and improve the efficiency of the health care system. Furthermore, DSHSS can provide real-time data and feedback to the health care providers, which can help them to optimize their interventions and prevent complications or hospitalizations.
– Improving the quality and safety of health care. DSHSS can improve the quality and safety of health care by providing evidence-based and personalized guidance to individuals based on their health data and preferences. This can increase the adherence to treatment plans, reduce medication errors, and prevent adverse events. Additionally, DSHSS can support the evaluation and improvement of health care services by collecting and analyzing data on the outcomes and satisfaction of individuals.

Challenges and opportunities for DSHSS development

Despite the potential benefits of DSHSS, there are also some challenges and opportunities for their development and implementation. Some of the challenges are:

– Ensuring the reliability and validity of DSHSS. DSHSS should be designed and tested according to rigorous standards to ensure that they provide accurate, reliable, and valid information and guidance to individuals. Moreover, DSHSS should be updated regularly to reflect the latest scientific evidence and best practices in health care.
– Protecting the privacy and security of DSHSS users. DSHSS should comply with the relevant laws and regulations regarding the protection of personal data and health information. Moreover, DSHSS should implement appropriate measures to prevent unauthorized access, use, or disclosure of the data collected by DSHSS.
– Addressing the ethical and social implications of DSHSS. DSHSS should respect the autonomy, dignity, and rights of individuals who use them. Moreover, DSHSS should consider the potential impacts on the relationship between individuals and their health care providers, as well as on the equity and accessibility of health care services.

Some of the opportunities are:

– Integrating DSHSS with other digital technologies. DSHSS can leverage the capabilities of other digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, cloud computing, internet of things, blockchain, etc., to enhance their functions and features. For example, DSHSS can use artificial intelligence to provide personalized recommendations, big data analytics to identify patterns and trends, cloud computing to store and process large amounts of data, internet of things to connect with various sensors and devices, blockchain to ensure transparency and trustworthiness.
– Engaging stakeholders in DSHSS development and implementation. DSHSS should involve various stakeholders in their design, development, evaluation, and implementation processes. These stakeholders include individuals who use them, health care providers who interact with them, policy makers who regulate them, researchers who study them, developers who create them, etc. By engaging stakeholders, DSHSS can ensure that they meet the needs and expectations of different users groups.
– Promoting awareness and adoption of DSHSS among users. DSHSS should adopt effective strategies to raise awareness and promote adoption among potential users. These strategies include providing clear information about the benefits and risks of using DSHSS; offering incentives or rewards for using them; providing training or support for using them; creating a positive user experience; building trust and credibility; etc.

Conclusion

DSHSS are an innovative technology that can change the current health care system and improve the quality of health care management. They can empower individuals to take charge of their own health, reduce the burden on the health care system, and improve the quality and safety of health care. However, they also face some challenges and opportunities for their development and implementation, such as ensuring their reliability and validity, protecting their privacy and security, addressing their ethical and social implications, integrating them with other digital technologies, engaging stakeholders in their development and implementation, and promoting awareness and adoption among users. By overcoming these challenges and seizing these opportunities, DSHSS can become a valuable tool for health care management in the digital age.

References

– Alharbi, N. S., Alsubki, N., Jones, S., Khunti, K., Munro, N., & de Lusignan, S. (2019). Impact of information technology-based interventions for type 2 diabetes mellitus on glycemic control: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of medical Internet research, 21(11), e14425.
– Barello, S., Triberti, S., Graffigna, G., Libreri, C., Serino, S., Hibbard, J., & Riva, G. (2016). eHealth for patient engagement: a systematic review. Frontiers in psychology, 6, 2013.
– Kvedar, J., Coye, M. J., & Everett, W. (2014). Connected health: a review of technologies and strategies to improve patient care with telemedicine and telehealth. Health Affairs, 33(2), 194-199.
– Laranjo, L., Neves, A. L., Costa, A., Ribeiro, R. T., Couto, L., & Sá, A. B. (2015). Facilitators, barriers and expectations in the self-management of type 2 diabetes–a qualitative study from Portugal. European journal of general practice, 21(2), 103-110.

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