While digitalization, AI and Big Data has solved lots of mysteries and complexities of our life and our health, what is not mysterious and complex is that when we are ill we have a fundamental need for care and validation of our personhood, notes Dr Helai Gupta
We stand on the brink of a technological revolution so profound that not only will it alter our way of living but also how we relate to one another. At a time like this when the fourth industrial revolution is building on the third, despite the exponential rather than linear pace of this revolution, the resultant fruit is revealing a wide gender gap in its distribution.
A recent study by a well reputed think tank has revealed a huge gender gap of 53 per cent amongst internet users in India. The percentage of women having a mobile phone was 43 per cent as compared to 80 per cent men.
The study also highlighted that only 19 per cent of the total Indian population uses the internet. We can very accurately imagine then what a small blip of women may be benefitting when it comes to usage of health apps.
Currently there are about 31800 health apps, broadly of 3 main categories:
1. General health and wellness apps
2. Telemedicine apps
3. Health management apps
Those specific to women are: menstrual cycle trackers, fertility and ovulation apps, pregnancy care apps, PMS tracking apps.
While they play a major role in health education and care, and have the potential to reduce healthcare cost both for the patient and health care providers, developing a successful health care app takes careful thought, research and ingenuity. Lack of good quality scientific research into E-health is a major concern.
Nevertheless the numerous advantages are: its convenience and availability, cost effectiveness and also provision of a good data back-up, all the while encouraging self-efficacy.
The major disadvantages are data privacy and cyber security, lack of a good central regulatory body, and inaccurate information and authenticity.
For example, a study published in the Journal of American Society of Hypertension revealed that only 3 per cent of the 107 apps that used the term ‘hypertension’ for high blood pressure were developed by healthcare agencies, and none of these were approved by the FDA.
While digitalization, AI and Big Data has solved lots of mysteries and complexities of our life and our health, what is not mysterious and complex is that when we are ill we have a fundamental need for care and validation of our personhood.
The hope is that as the deficient component of healthcare is fixed through technology and as machines get smarter and take over suitable tasks, humans might actually find it easier to be more human.
As Hippocrates said more than 2000 years ago, it’s more important to know what sort of a person has a disease than to know what sort of a disease a person has.
(The author is a Consultant, Obstretics and Gynaecologist at Rosewalk Healthcare)