WHO releases first guideline on digital health interventions

WHO today released new recommendations on 10 ways that countries can use digital health technology, accessible via mobile phones, tablets and computers, to improve people’s health and essential services.

The guideline demonstrates that health systems need to respond to the increased visibility and availability of information. People also must be assured that their own data is safe and that they are not being put at risk because they have accessed information on sensitive health topics, such as sexual and reproductive health issues.

WHO releases first guideline on digital health interventions
https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/17-04-2019-who-releases-first-guideline-on-digital-health-interventions 

WHO Guideline: recommendations on digital interventions for health system strengthening
https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/digital-interventions-health-system-strengthening/en/ 

The link to the full youtube video of the launch: http://bit.ly/digilaunchwho

This presentation provides an overview of the “WHO Guideline Recommendations on Digital Health Interventions.” It details the scoping process, synthesis of scientific evidence, and establishment of ten global recommendations by a WHO independent expert panel of the use of digital technology for health outcomes, that can be combined toward achieving country goals of universal health coverage. The presentation by Dr. Garrett Mehl provides the details of the scope of the Guideline, and gives an overview for each specific digital health intervention as well as the implementation consideration within national information systems and digital architectures.

Additionally, there is mention of the WHO Digital Health Atlas, a free and open-source global platform for technology registration aiming to support and strengthen the value and impact of digital health investments, improve coordination, and facilitate institutionalization and scale among governments, technologists and implementers, and the donor and financing communities. WHO encourages those who develop, use, or invest in digital technology for health to use the Digital Health Atlas as a registry to detail specific uses of digital health and scope of implementations.

The Digital Health Atlas is available at: https://www.digitalhealthatlas.org/en/-/