Navigating the digital health revolution: Insights from the Second WHO Symposium on the future of health systems in a digital era

“We are on the cusp of a digital health revolution,” said Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, as he opened the Second WHO Symposium on the future of health systems in a digital era in the European Region earlier this week in Porto, Portugal.

As we navigate the digital frontier of health care, whether it's with excitement or unease, we must ensure that new technology for health leaves no one behind. This message was emphasized in Dr Kluge's remarks , then echoed throughout the 2-day Symposium across more than 20 sessions and gatherings, with over 500 people in attendance.

The promise of innovation

The powerful short film, premiered at the opening ceremony, quite accurately captures the essence of our work within the Data and Digital Health team at WHO/Europe. It also underscored the driving force behind the Symposium itself: our belief that accessible, safe, and reliable digital tools can transform health care for generations to come.

As we discovered in the pages of our newly launched flagship report: "Digital Health in the WHO European Region: the ongoing journey to commitment and transformation ", filled with new data on digital health in all 53 WHO/Europe Member States, the digital transformation of health care across our Region is charging ahead, accelerated even further by the pandemic. However, the report also illuminated troubling gaps in progress — gaps that will only widen if left unattended.

It is indeed a sad irony that those who would benefit the most from digital health are the ones who risk being left behind. Older people, residents of remote and rural areas, persons with disabilities, those without education or employment, must be our priority — not an afterthought — as we advance digital health.

Let our Data and Digital Health team bring you up to speed on the state of digital health in Europe in just 60 seconds.

Key takeaways

We must work harder to increase digital health literacy. All this technology is only valuable if patients and health workers know how to use it. Every country in the WHO European Region recognizes the innovative potential of digital health, but only half of them have policies targeting digital health literacy.

Digital health solutions, including Artificial Intelligence and all the different ways to use health data, must be safe and reliable. Placing individuals and health professionals at the centre of the digital revolution not only fosters trust and curiosity, but also empowers them to take control of their unique health care journeys.

We can’t ignore the importance of consistent evaluation. How do we know which digital health solutions work well, which ones should be scaled up or abolished? Health workers always assess the clinical interventions and medicines they use to improve quality of care. We must have the same approach to digital health.

Learn more in this interview of our Divisional Director, Natasha Azzopardi Muscat :

Furthermore, this editorial on Digital health advances in the European Region, but uneven progress in digital literacy and inclusion leave disadvantaged populations behind , co-authored by Hans Kluge and Natasha Azzopardi-Muscat, revisits areas of progress and persisting gaps in European digital health. Only by bridging these gaps can we truly and completely fulfill the Digital health action plan for the WHO European Region 2023-2030 and the Global strategy on digital health 2020–2025 .

A heartfelt thanks and looking ahead

On behalf of the entire Data and Digital Health unit, I would like to thank everyone who took time to travel to Portugal and delve into the world of digital health, even if it's not your area of work or interest. We hope that you all learned something new, or had the opportunity to reflect on your perspectives on digital technology.

The success of this landmark event was made possible through the unwavering dedication of our colleagues from WHO/Europe and beyond, who worked hard for months to ensure every detail fell seamlessly into place. With special thanks to Hans Kluge and Natasha Azzopardi Muscat for all the support received, and to a great and committed team (in alphabetical order): Keyrellous Adib , Susan Ahrenst, Ndandula Namuyamba Astrup , Cécile Bailey , Bhanu Bhatnagar , JOAO BREDA , Helen Caton-Peters MSN, RN, FAAN , Stefania Davia , Karapet Davtyan , Ryan Dos Santos , Filipa Fixe Santos , Clayton Hamilton , Luca Naccari , Marie Oleinik , Natalia Olesen, Ramy Srour , Mary Ann Stewart , Tyrone Reden Sy , Abhilasha (Vini) Vaid , Roy Wadia . Furthermore, many thanks to our partner, the Norwegian Centre for E-health Research , and its director Stein Olav Skr?vseth .

Colleagues, we have a lot of work ahead. This Symposium served as a much-needed meeting point for key stakeholders: government representatives, NGOs, private sector leaders, healthcare professionals, patients, thought leaders, and academics. Ultimately, digital health is bigger than the sum of its parts. However, it is the synergy of these parts that will secure an equitable and safe future for health systems in the digital era.

So, let's press on together.

Relevant links:

• Flagship report: Digital Health in the WHO European Region: the ongoing journey to commitment and transformation .
• Editorial: Kluge HHP, Azzopardi-Muscat N, Novillo-Ortiz D. Digital health advances in the European Region, but uneven progress in digital literacy and inclusion leave disadvantaged populations behind . Int J Med Inform. 2023 Aug 2:105168. doi: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2023.105168.
• Video: The future of health is digital
• 60-second video: What is the status of the digital transformation of health systems in the WHO European Region?
• Press release: "Digital health divide: only 1 in 2 countries in Europe and central Asia have policies to improve digital health literacy, leaving millions behind "
• Press statement: "We are on the cusp of a digital health revolution yet millions risk being left behind"