"Preparing for the Future of Healthcare: The Importance of Digital Health Education"

In recent years, the healthcare industry has undergone a rapid transformation, largely driven by the increasing use of technology. Digital health, which encompasses a broad range of technologies and services that leverage digital platforms to improve healthcare outcomes, has become a critical component of the healthcare landscape. Healthcare professionals need to be able to use digital tools and technologies to improve patient outcomes, and digital health education programs can help them develop the necessary skills to do so. That's why I want to introduce you to one of the experts on this subject.

Lisa Finkelstein is Medical Director of Telehealth at St. John’s Health in Jackson, WYOMING. She is a Urologist and started using teleUrology with her rural patients in 2018. Telehealth has become her passion and is the next chairperson of the American Urologic Association Telehealth Taskforce. She is in the board of the NRTRC (Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center) and WYTN (WYOMING telehealth network). She teaches digital health course to 3 rd year medical students at PCOM (Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine)

What is the current level of digital health literacy among medical students in your institution and what strategies are in place to improve it?

Lisa: The level of digital literacy is minimal for medical students. There really isn't a true strategy . I have spoken to many leaders who realize this is? important but have other priorities and time restrictions. For now, it's very fragmented.

How can medical universities integrate digital health literacy into their curriculum to better prepare students for the use of digital technologies in healthcare?

Lisa: My thoughts have been around adding a structured framework into the curriculum. I started asking about this in 2019, then the "you know what hit the fan". Without the pandemeic we would have at least another 10 years before we would have this discussion.? At the minimum, they should have a day or week centered around the new technology, webside manner, platforms, telehealth, innovation. Similar to what they are doing in the SIM labs and virtual patients.?

A forward thinking geriatrician started a pilot project with a grant to study remote supervision of med students using a full telemed cart with all the peripherals in a nursing home.?

What ethical considerations should medical universities take into account when teaching digital health literacy?

Lisa: I try to keep my mantra as "telemedicine is medicine". In every aspect of medicine there have been ethical considerations and inequities. The addition of digital health shines a brighter light to these problems across the globe.

How can medical universities collaborate with technology companies to develop and implement effective digital health tools and resources for both students and practicing healthcare professionals?

Again, similar to any tool that a university uses. Since there are so many companies now, I think it's going to take vetting to talk to those interested in education. It's not just about the gadget, but the vision of the company. I think getting their hands on tools are so important ( Hand held US, Tyto care , EKO, VR sets, tele...scopes) I teach an intro course and try to expose them to as much as I can).

How can medical universities assess and evaluate the effectiveness of their digital health literacy programs, and what metrics should be used to measure success?

I am a clinician, not a informatics data expert. But there are physicians getting master degrees in this arena . My opinion is that physicians should lead the way in collecting data and asking the right questions. The new students will be driving this bus. If they learn digital literacy then They should be telling "Meta" how the metaverse will look like in healthcare...not Zuckerberg ??.