Harnessing the digital potential of the next generation of health professionals

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  • Brian L.H. Wong
  • Khurana, Mark Poulsen
  • Robert D. Smith
  • Omnia El-Omrani
  • Ave Pold
  • Amine Lotfi
  • Charlotte A. O’Leary
  • Diah S. Saminarsih

Digital technologies are rapidly being integrated into a wide range of health fields. This new domain, often termed ‘digital health’, has the potential to significantly improve healthcare outcomes and global health equity more broadly. However, its effective implementation and responsible use are contingent on building a health workforce with a sufficient level of knowledge and skills to effectively navigate the digital transformations in health. More specifically, the next generation of health professionals—namely youth—must be adequately prepared to maximise the potential of these digital transformations. In this commentary, we highlight three priority areas which should be prioritised in digital education to realise the benefits of digital health: capacity building, opportunities for youth, and an ethics-driven approach. Firstly, capacity building requires educational frameworks and curricula to not only be updated, but to also place an emphasis on interdisciplinary learning. Secondly, opportunities are important for youth to meaningfully participate in decision-making processes and gain invaluable practical experiences. Thirdly, training in digital ethics and the responsible use of data as a standard component of education will help to safeguard against potential future inequities resulting from the implementation and use of digital health technologies.

Original languageEnglish
Article number50
JournalHuman Resources for Health
Volume19
Issue number1
Number of pages5
ISSN1478-4491
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).

    Research areas

  • Capacity building, Digital education, Digital ethics, Digital health, Digital literacy, Health literacy, Healthcare professionals, Public health, Youth

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