What are Digital Health Tools?
Digital health tools have rapidly changed the industry landscape on how individuals access and interact with their health care, and it shows no signs of slowing down. The United States Food and Drug Administration has determined that digital health includes mobile health apps, wearable devices and fitness trackers, telehealth, personalized treatment, and eHealth-like digital health records and chats with professionals (FDA, 2020).
These current tools, as well as developments that are happening now and in the future like AI to sort through health information and develop treatment methods, a focus on health involvement to shift the focus to prevention, and more have ushered in an era that aims to improve care accuracy, inform patients, and personalize medical treatments (Zajc, 2025). With this new era comes concerns about data privacy, accessibility and understanding of technology, and job displacement.
The future of digital health tools is moving faster than ever, and in a post-pandemic world, it is clear that there are advantages that digital health tools can offer users. With this rapid progression of technology, I aim to inform the public about digital health tools, how they can be used ethically, how they can be boosted when looked at from an emotionally intelligent perspective, and how these tools will impact current or future users.
The Post-Pandemic Shift
Strategic Advantages
Digital health tools have allowed more personalized care for individuals, accessibility for rural areas, and boosted personal involvement in one's health.
Nowadays, the landscape of healthcare looks very different from what it did before the COVID-19 Pandemic. Now, there has been an increased reliance on mobile and in-office digital health tools to assist individuals. Ideally, digital health tools assist, not replace, healthcare professionals. How much influence is too much for these health tools?
Critical Challenges
Digital health tools are currently facing challenges as the public questions the privacy, accuracy, and ethics of digital health tools, especially as the future points to AI guided technological involvement.
Faces of Digital Health Podcast
Hosted by Tjasa Zajc, this podcast highlights real-world digital health tool development and case studies. Each episode brings in experts to unpack how digital tools are designed, tested, and used in practice—perfect for listeners who want to go beyond the buzzwords.
More Resources!
Digital Health Readiness: Making Care More Inclusive
This scholarly article by Bober et al. introduces ‘digital readiness’ and explores how digital health tools can become more inclusive. It covers strategies for use, the digital literacy divide, and practical ways to assess how prepared you are to engage with digital care.
Telehealth: Technology Meets Health Care
This Mayo Clinic overview explains core digital health tools—from telehealth visits and apps to patient portals. It’s a clear starting point for understanding how digital tools can make care more flexible, accessible, and immediate in everyday life.
Blog Posts
Digital Health Tools
References
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Food and Drug Administration. “What Is Digital Health?” FDA, 22 Sept. 2020,
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www.fda.gov/medical-devices/digital-health-center-excellence/what-digital-health
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Zajc, T. (2026, February 5). Faces of digital health. Faces of Digital Health. https://www.facesofdigitalhealth.com