Digital technologies have rapidly changed how we bank, borrow and lend, commute, or order food. The scale of these changes, and the relatively low barriers for individuals to drive such systemic change, have raised great expectations for digital technologies to also impact health and healthcare globally. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated the need for improved health data from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and the expectation for digital technologies to provide solutions.

This global Call to Action is intended to inspire governments and their ecosystem partners around the world to work together to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals through innovation. The document outlines the vision of accelerating innovation to achieve greater health impact, the opportunity for the public sector to scale up and sustain innovations, the approach of utilizing frameworks and lastly, outlines the “asks” to governments and ecosystem partners to scale up innovations.

This book explores the pivotal role played by technology over the past decade in advancing global public health and health care. At present, the global community faces unprecedented healthcare challenges fueled by an aging population, rising rates of chronic disease, and persistent health disparities. New technologies and advancements have the potential to extend the reach of health professionals while improving quality and efficiency of service delivery and reducing costs within the public and the private health systems. The chapters highlight the barriers faced by the global healthcare workforce in using technology to promote health and human rights of communities: Role of Digital Health, mHealth, and Low-Cost Technologies in Advancing Universal Health Coverage in Emerging Economies Telehealth and Homecare Agencies Technology and the Practice of Health Education in Conflict Zones The Worldwide Digital Divide and Access to Healthcare Technology Technology for Creating Better Professional Teams to Strengthen Healthcare Systems Global Public Health Disaster Management and Technology As a resource on the evolution of technology as a valuable and integral component in the promotion and practice of public health and health care, with a focus on SDG 3 targets, Technology and Global Public Health should engage students, instructors, practitioners, and other professionals interested in public health, universal health care, health technology, digital health, and health equity. Dr. Murthy has been a respected leader and mentor on scientific health-related matters within the UN system for many years. Her book develops a theoretical system connecting concepts that have coined global public health with the rapid development of technology, all with the focus to achieve Sustainable Development Goal number three, within the time frame set by World Leaders. - Henry L. Mac-Donald, Former Permanent Representative of Suriname to the United Nations

Providing a comparison between context in Europe and the US, this volume investigates the digital transformation of health systems, comparing strategies for digital development while identifying both key innovations and future challenges. The book covers a wide spectrum of topics, from explaining the nature of individual innovations to an analysis of demand-side and supply-side barriers, including funding issues and technological access. It also explores where digitalization is already playing an important role, for example, in clinical trials and disease modeling. Concluding with guidance for policy recommendations, this important book will interest students, scholars, and practitioners across health and social care, medicine, and beyond.

This open access book introduces the National Health Insurance (NHI) system of Taiwan with a particular emphasis on its application of digital technology to improve healthcare access and quality. The authors explicate how Taiwan integrates its strong Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry with 5G to construct an information system that facilitates medical information exchange, collects data for planning and research, refines medical claims review procedures and even assists in fighting COVID-19. Taiwan's NHI, launched in 1995, is a single-payer system funded primarily through payroll-based premiums. It covers all citizens and foreign residents with the same comprehensive benefits without the long waiting times seen in other single-payer systems. Though premium rate adjustment and various reforms were carried out in 2010, the NHI finds itself at a crossroads over its financial stability. With the advancement of technologies and an aging population, it faces challenges of expanding coverage to newly developed treatments and diagnosis methods and applying the latest innovations to deliver telemedicine and more patient-centered services. The NHI, like the national health systems of other countries, also needs to address the privacy concerns of the personal health data it collects and the issues regarding opening this data for research or commercial use. In this book, the 12 chapters cover the history, characteristics, current status, innovations and future reform plans of the NHI in the digital era. Topics explored include: Income Strategy Payment Structure Pursuing Health Equity Infrastructure of the Medical Information System Innovative Applications of the Medical Information Applications of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Digital Health Care in Taiwan is essential reading for academic researchers and students in healthcare administration, health policy, health systems research, and health services delivery, as well as policymakers and public officials in relevant government departments. It also would appeal to academics, practitioners, and other professionals in public health, health sciences, social welfare, and health and biotechnology law.

Like many other industries, health care is increasingly turning to digital information and the use of electronic resources. The Institute of Medicine's Roundtable on Value & Science-Driven Health Care hosted three workshops to explore current efforts and opportunities to accelerate progress in improving health and health care with information technology systems.