Digital Health and the Climate Change: Introductory key concepts and Research Topics

Abstract

Starting with telemedicine movement 50 years ago, digital health has been changing slowly the healthcare paradigm since. Now with COVID-19 Epidemics has raise the bar and pushed for digital health across the healthcare services. Likewise, public Health should be more engaged on studying future impacts of climate change on health care and look for the opportunities that digital health can bring. At the same time, European Public Health should propose new models for healthy living in the line with sustainable circular economy. Digital health is about health service delivery but it is much more about patients' behaviour and participation in the healthcare process. Digitalization is enabling a change in the role of patients in the healthcare value chain, moreover considering the new European strategy of Health Data Space combined with the European Green Deal. We will present a set of European and American case studies already showing the positive impact of digital health in mitigating climate crises factors, by reducing transportation and materials costs and improving health professionals efficiency, among others. An overview of the recent trends will be discussed and links to public health will be addressed. A special attention will be drawn to a digital public health framework to tackle the climate change future's public health threats.