Public health and digital interdependence: Technological evolution, technological sustainability, and the user revolution

Abstract

The "technological revolution in the health sector" resulting from the boom in the use of information and communications technologies (ICT) during the COVID-19 pandemic may, in fact, be due to a revolution among users whose close relationship with ICT has mobilized health systems, with the pandemic as a turning point. This article proposes a conceptual model of technological evolution and revolution among users, with transitions from acceptance of digital health to an understanding of its potential, and from the sustainability of digital health to trust in its various applications and governance. This requires clear approaches and agreements between the different sectors of the health system in terms of management, infrastructure, policies, and training, among other areas, focused on the user revolution and ensuring that no one is left behind. This article aims to conceptualize the process of evolution and revolution in ICT, as it applies to health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.