The Evolution of Digital Health: A 5-Year Retrospective on Transforming Patient Care
Oleksandr Andrieiev
Digital Health | CEO & Сo-founder at Jelvix | Powering Business Growth through Technology | My content presents the resolution to your business challenges
In the past five years, digital health has revolutionized care delivery through tools like telemedicine, AI, and health monitoring devices. However, these innovations bring challenges such as data security, regulation compliance, and maintaining care quality.
This article explores key healthcare trends and their impact, supported by data from WHO, HIMSS, Statista, and our analytics, highlighting how digital health is evolving and what’s next for providers and tech leaders.
Digital Health Market: Overview, Growth, and Adoption Rates
The digital health industry has grown rapidly, fueled by new technologies, demand for accessible healthcare, and significant investments. From 2019 to 2023, the global market grew from $175 billion to $309.93 billion, driven by telemedicine, remote monitoring, and AI. The UK market is expected to reach $5.55 billion in 2024, with the global market projected at $258.30 billion by 2029, led by the US.
Hospitals adopted digital health tools like EHRs faster than private practices, which face financial barriers. By 2021, over 90% of US hospitals used EHRs, while 40% of Americans use health apps and 35% track health with wearables. In 2021, US startups attracted $29.1 billion, led by companies like Teladoc Health and mental wellness startups like Calm and Omada Health.
Major Trends in Digital Health in 2019-2024
Digital health has experienced a big change, with virtual health, AI-driven diagnostics, and machine learning becoming more common for clinics.?
Telemedicine, AI Doctors, and Machine Learning in Healthcare
AI software development is on the rise right now, as AI-powered tools have shown efficiency in helping physicians with more accurate and timely diagnoses of complex health conditions.??
Utilization Rates by Specialty
Telemedicine has become a major part of healthcare, especially in areas like mental health and primary care. In 2019 around 57 million patients used online doctor consultations worldwide, and in 2024 their number surpassed 116 million. About 55% of mental health appointments are conducted remotely as of 2024.
Specialties like dermatology and endocrinology use telemedicine, giving patients easier access to specialists without needing to visit a clinic in person. For instance, telemedicine visits for Type 2 diabetes in endocrinology peaked at 84% from May to October 2020, dropped to 63% by April 2021, and settled at 41% by May 2022.
Diagnostic Accuracy Rates vs. Traditional Methods
AI-powered diagnostic tools are not only fast but also can be highly accurate — sometimes surpassing traditional methods. For example, AI can achieve accuracy rates of over 90% in diagnosing conditions like skin cancer. What’s more, AI-powered tools can achieve up to 98%? accuracy in virtual primary care cases, promising a possibility to improve patient triage over time.
Growth in Predictive Analytics and CDSS
Machine learning helps healthcare providers take a more proactive approach to care through predictive analytics. These tools help identify high-risk patients, forecast how diseases might progress, and plan treatments ahead of time. Clinical Decision Support Systems play a key role here helping analyze patient data to suggest possible diagnoses or treatments.?
In 2019, CDSS was used daily between 68% and 100% in primary care in the US, if a practice entirely relied on an EHR system. Globally, the market of CDSS was valued at $5.30 bn in 2023 and is expected to grow at more than 10% by 2030.
Wearable Tech for Remote Patient Monitoring
Wearable tech makes it easier for patients to track their health from home. With devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers, patients can monitor key health stats daily, and doctors can get a clearer understanding of patients’ overall health.
Adoption Statistics
The popularity of wearables has surged recently. By 2023, about 35% of US adults used wearables to monitor their health, and similar trends took place in the UK. The British market for smartwatches was expected to generate around 750 million pounds and grow steadily in the future.?
This rise is especially helpful for older adults and people with chronic illnesses who benefit from regular check-ins without visiting a doctor in person.
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Privacy Concerns and Data Volume Generated
The healthcare sector generates about 30% of the world's data, and wearable tech is one of the most rapid data generators. As more people use these devices, privacy becomes a bigger problem.?
Remote monitoring tools gather personal data, so managing and securing all this information can be challenging. To keep this data safe, healthcare providers and wearable companies are implementing safety methods like strong data encryption and policies to protect users’ privacy.
Blockchain for Secure Data Management
Blockchain technology offers a new way to secure patient data, making it more reliable and less likely to be compromised. By storing data in a decentralized system, blockchain can keep sensitive health information safe while also making data management more transparent.
Adoption Rate in Healthcare Data Security
Although still developing, blockchain is slowly gaining traction in healthcare. The global healthcare market spending on blockchain is expected to reach $5.61 bn already by 2025. No wonder, this technology has the potential to save the healthcare industry up to$150 bn per year, reducing the likelihood of breaches and lowering operational and IT costs.
The adoption rates, however, still aren’t huge. Only 36% of physicians were positive about using blockchain in healthcare in 2022, while 47% were somewhat positive about integrating the technology into the HIE settings.
Case Studies in Successful Implementation
Some healthcare organizations are already using blockchain with positive results.?
For example, the MediLedger Project is a collaboration between pharmaceutical companies in the US, including Pfizer and Genentech. The project was initiated in 2020 to secure the pharmaceutical supply chain using blockchain technology. By creating a decentralized and immutable ledger, the initiative aimed to prevent counterfeit drugs from entering the market and ensure the authenticity and safety of medications.?
Efforts Toward Digital Health Equity
As digital health grows, there’s a need to make sure that everyone — no matter where they live or what their financial situation is — can access medical tools. Although digital health solutions like telemedicine and health apps have changed healthcare, disparities still exist, particularly for underserved communities.
Access Statistics in Underserved Populations
Access to digital health tools remains limited for many underserved populations. About 24 million people in the U.S. lack access to high-speed internet, which directly affects their ability to get telehealth services.?
What’s more, Americans have low digital literacy — only 40% of people can answer questions related to modern tech correctly. The situation is similar in the UK, where about 10 million adults lack basic digital skills. This low digital literacy makes it difficult for people to use online health portals or apps.?
Impact of Initiatives on Reducing Health Disparities
Several initiatives are improving access to digital health tools and reducing health disparities:
Stay Ahead in Digital Health Transformation
Digital health is revolutionizing healthcare with telemedicine, wearables, AI, and predictive analytics, enabling remote care and personalized treatment.
Jelvix supports healthcare businesses in adopting these innovations with custom software solutions, including telemedicine, wearables, and patient engagement.