Health IT and digital health: the future of health technology is diverse

Abstract

Physicians used to make informed decisions with a very lim- ited set of tools but a growing amount ofexperience and knowl- edge that spans generations. With the birth of modern medicine in the 18th century, the practice of medicine has gradually be- come dependent on the use of technology. It started with sim- pler methods, hollow wooden tubes (the first stethoscope) and X-rays, and evolved into cloud-based algorithms and virtual re- ality. By the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, medicine has become a technological profession. Without it, no physician can be up-to-date, make informed deci- sions, or be able to legally practice medicine. Technologies have been infused into the delivery of care too