Welcome to the European Parliamentary Research Service Podcasts.

Today, we'll be talking about the rise of digital health technologies during the pandemic.

We'll look at their potential to improve our health systems and services,

but also at challenges linked to data privacy, accessibility, liability and cyber security, among others.

Keep listening.

Doctors using telemedicine to diagnose remotely, patients logging their symptoms into specially developed apps to assess the likelihood of infection, contact tracing apps.

There's no doubt digital technologies have become critical in the fight against COVID-19.

But what are digital health technologies exactly?

Well, digital health is a very broad concept that includes solutions for telemedicine and tele-consultation,

remote monitoring, connected devices, digital health platforms and health apps.

It also covers the related health data analysis and application and systems based on big data,

for instance for epidemiological research or diagnosis supported by artificial intelligence.

Digital health technologies are not new, but the coronavirus has accelerated its development and use.

Since the pandemic began, 58% of countries have been using telemedicine to replace face-to-face consultations.

This has helped hospitals and general practitioners restrict face-to-face contact to essential visits.

But it has also allowed doctors to collect new data from their patients and provide new services.

For instance, thanks to tele-consultations, doctors could identify potential lifestyle factors

in illness such as poor nutrition.

And while in video conference with elderly patients, they could monitor the background for

tripping hazards, saving them from further trouble.

In addition, most EU member states have launched national contact tracing and warning apps

to prevent the spread of the virus.

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