Digital Health Tools, Telemedicine, and Mobile Health Applications: How They’re Enhancing Population Health

Though our movement into a digital and remote world was accelerated by the COVID-19 Pandemic, it is a movement that has proven to be quite beneficial. We were able to roll out various digital health tools, telemedicine, and mobile health applications that not only better the lives of our patients but also our staff. These tools helped to keep us safe during the pandemic and are now working to ease the burden healthcare can have on people. Patients now have an often quicker and easier way to access healthcare and their care providers, often without ever leaving the home, and in turn, providers have a much easier time reaching their patients. However, in order for this technology to truly work to improve the lives of our patients and providers, it must be accessible. Today we are going to focus on these three technologies to look at their impact on population health management and the challenges that are in place of it being accessible.

We reached out to our brilliant Healthcare IT Today Community with the question – how is the integration of digital health tools, telemedicine, and mobile health applications contributing to the enhancement of population health management, and what challenges exist in ensuring equitable access to these technologies across diverse communities? The following is what they had to share.

Harshit Jain, MD, Founder, and Global CEO at Doceree
Digital health tools, including mobile health apps and telemedicine, have become key drivers in enhancing health literacy and improving population health management. These tools provide easy access to healthcare information, self-monitoring resources, and personalized interventions, empowering individuals to take control of their healthcare. Telemedicine further expands access to healthcare services, enabling remote consultations and facilitating communication between patients and providers.

However, the digital divide remains a significant challenge, with disparities in access to digital technologies and the internet limiting participation for many populations. Low health literacy and inconsistent access to stable internet connectivity exacerbate these inequities, creating barriers to effective digital health engagement. Additionally, safeguarding sensitive health data is critical to maintaining trust and ensuring the ethical use of digital health platforms.

Karen Iapoce, Vice President, Government Programs at ZeOmega
The integration of digital health tools, telemedicine, and mobile health applications is greatly advancing population health management by improving access to care, enabling real-time health monitoring, and offering personalized treatment plans. These technologies facilitate consultations for those in remote areas, provide continuous monitoring for early intervention, and enhance health education through digital resources. However, challenges remain, such as the digital divide, varying levels of health literacy, privacy concerns, and the cost of technology, which can exacerbate health inequities. Addressing these issues requires collaborative efforts from policymakers, healthcare providers, and technology developers to ensure equitable access to these beneficial tools.

Jennifer Goldsmith, President at Tendo
When effectively deployed, digital health tools offer new ways to improve population health by engaging patients in their own care. Mobile health technologies, such as nudges, self-scheduling, and asynchronous communication, empower patients to modify their behaviors. Telemedicine expands access to healthcare, providing patients with convenient options for education and clinical interventions. Together, these tools can significantly enhance population health outcomes. However, challenges remain, including the digital divide, which can limit access in communities with high social determinants of health. While mobile technologies are increasingly widespread, cultural context, user experience, and accessibility tools are crucial to ensuring equitable adoption across diverse populations.

Libby Sagara, Managing Director at BluePath Health
Individuals relying on Medicaid and those who are uninsured find it nearly impossible to access specialty care in a timely manner. This problem is common across both rural and urban settings; across the nation; there are simply not enough specialists to address patients’ needs. Telemedicine, whether it be telephonic, live video or asynchronous, presents options for individuals whose access is limited by their insurance coverage, job and family commitments, or long distances to care. Electronic consult (asynchronous consultations between primary care providers and specialists) allows patients to remain with their trusted providers — those who speak their languages and live in their communities — while receiving advice from remote providers. Telemedicine innovations must meet patients where they are.

David Werry, Co-Founder, President, and COO at Well
Healthcare is becoming increasingly digital. From telehealth video calls to apps that remind you to take your meds, technology is making healthcare more accessible than ever. But here’s the thing, not everyone has equal access to these tools. Some folks might not have a smartphone, or maybe they live in an area with spotty internet. Others might find the technology confusing or worry about their privacy. So while these digital tools are fantastic, there’s still work to be done to make sure everyone can benefit from them. The goal is to create something that’s easy to use and works for everyone, and could transform how people manage their health.

Hilary Hatch, Clinical Psychologist and Chief Clinical Officer at Phreesia
Preventive care, chronic disease management, and adherence are the keys to keeping a population as healthy as possible. Most often, the responsibility of communicating about vaccines, routine screenings, and medication regimens falls to providers, who are already stretched thin. One study shows that primary care providers would need 27 hours to give each patient comprehensive preventive care. That’s where technology comes in. Simple digital tools, like a reminder about getting tested for diseases you may be at risk for, or screenings you are due for, right before going in for a doctor’s appointment, can make a huge difference. Research supports this—when people receive tailored healthcare messages, they’re more likely to be proactive about getting the care they need.

Ultimately, to move the needle on population health, we need every single patient to be an active partner in their care. Technology makes this possible at scale. We don’t have to rely on providers and staff to make every outreach call; digital tools can help them use their limited time more efficiently. We can leverage technology so that all patients, especially those who belong to historically underserved groups, receive the resources and support they need to attain the best possible health outcomes.

Dr. Paige Kilian, SVP, Chief Medical Officer at Inovalon
Unsurprisingly, the digital health field is rapidly growing, with 30% of our world’s data generated by the healthcare industry. The potential of emerging technologies to revolutionize health systems and healthcare delivery is immense, offering an array of tools with diverse capabilities from preventing antibiotic overuse and adverse events at the individual practice or hospital level to leveraging continuous glucose and blood pressure monitoring to improve outcomes for large segments of the population. Telemedicine also plays a crucial role, increasing access to both primary and specialty services and offering a bright future for holistic patient care.

Despite the promising advancements, health systems still face hurdles in fully harnessing the potential of digital health. Financial pressures and the difficulty of meaningful integration into EHRs can limit access to these technologies. It is also critical (and often challenging) to ensure the data from these tools are reliable, accurate, and applicable to diverse populations. Embracing a data-driven approach and fostering partnerships across the care continuum is not just beneficial, but essential for health systems to inform population health efforts and treat everyone individually and equitably for optimal outcomes.