The Evolution of Digital Technologies in Health Care
Although digital health often is touted as something revolutionary and brand new, the truth is that electronic biomedical equipment has existed for decades and many new digital health tools are simply incremental enhancements. In some cases, a device has been miniaturized for convenience and home use. In other cases, novel algorithms are being placed into clinician workflow as decision aids, not unlike the Physicians’ Desk Reference (PDR) that often was consulted during clinical encounters. The part that is new is Internet connectivity and all the accompanying benefits and risks. In this chapter, the history of biomedical tools and their evolution over the last three decades is reviewed in detail with an eye toward understanding incremental advancements, such as miniaturized heart arrhythmia measurement tools, as well as leaps in progress, such as the widespread adoption of electronic health records.