Digital health at a glance

OECD countries are struggling to maximise the value from digital health because technologies and the data environment are often outdated and fragmented. This chapter explores the concept of digital health readiness – assessing the policy, analytic, technical and social environment that enables successful use of digital health. The concept of readiness is taking on increased urgency with the realisation that digital health is an emerging determinant of health. The chapter first looks at the policy components of an integrated digital health ecosystem to establish dimensions of digital health readiness – analytic, data, technology and human factor readiness. It then compiles and analyses indicators to measure readiness in these dimensions. The chapter concludes with a brief exploration of digital transformation as a determinant of health, providing some examples of the benefits of digital health in acute care to lower costs and improve the patient experience.