International Practices in Digital Health Development: A Review of Technological Solutions and Integrated Systems

Introduction: Digital development supported by government initiatives leads to the achievement of key objectives, including the improved quality of healthcare services, better treatment outcomes, and reduced costs.

Objective: To identify, analyze, and systematize international practices of digital solution implementation in healthcare for further development of the Russian policy in this area.

Materials and Methods: The research methodology is based on the application of general scientific methods and the analysis of peer-reviewed publications issued in 1985–2024 and found in Medline, PubMed, and eLIBRARY international databases. The search was conducted using key terms related to the digital transformation of healthcare, which ensured a representative coverage of scientific materials on the topic. Of 150 search results, 69 articles were selected for the review.

Results: Our findings show that digital health demonstrates significant positive potential expressed through increased accessibility, efficiency, and personalization of medical care, driven by the development of telemedicine, mobile applications, and artificial intelligence-based technologies. At the same time, introduction of digital technologies is accompanied by serious negative consequences, the most critical of which is the exacerbation of social inequality and the emergence of digital exclusion of vulnerable population groups due to disparities in technology access and digital literacy in the society.

Conclusions: Implementation of digital health, while enhancing the accessibility and efficiency of medical care, systemically exacerbates social inequality. Governments are therefore encouraged to develop and implement comprehensive public policies aimed at minimizing the digital divide by developing inclusive infrastructure, addressing algorithmic biases, and introducing targeted support programs for vulnerable groups of population.

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