As we re-examine the healthcare system in the wake of the pandemic, we are continually identifying opportunities to rebuild parts of the system to new and improved specifications. One critical facet is digital health, where we continue to struggle with what should really be table stakes: the ability to integrate data from disparate organizations and systems into a unified view of the whole person and take action.

During the height of the pandemic, telehealth made it possible to deliver care that was personal yet socially responsible. As a direct benefit, the use of digital health tools on both the clinical and consumer side picked up a tremendous and timely head of steam. But what will become of these innovations once we make our eventual return to normal?

Today, many healthcare consumers can talk to a therapist or a counselor through text, monitor glucose levels through a diabetes app and meet with their primary care provider over videoconference. The challenge is that a lot of this patient data is still landlocked in electronic medical record (EMR) systems that do not communicate or coordinate with one another or with payer systems or consumer apps.

See Also

• 12 Telehealth & Virtual Care Predictions and Trends for 2021
• UCHealth Taps Conversa Health to Track COVID-19 Vaccine Effects
• 4 Ways Clinical AI Will Transform Healthcare in 2021
• How AI and AR are Changing Medical Proctoring During COVID-19
• Creating Seamless Service Throughout a Patient’s Health Journey