Needs of Healthcare and Medical Research Digitization in Developing Countries: Digital Health Infrastructure

Digital health and digitization in healthcare have only accelerated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. LMIC settings face a unique complexity of healthcare challenges, where digital health infrastructure is likely to ameliorate at least part of the existing pressures. However, persistent infrastructure challenges provide a barrier to implementation. Therefore, key considerations have to be taken into account for key structural needs: firstly, the likely greater impact of digitalization in LMICs on primary healthcare, and as such the design of systems to support smaller, inter-connected units; secondly, the tropicalization of equipment, that can bely opportunities for co-development of digitalization applications under a universal health coverage system; and thirdly, the greater availability of field performance studies in LMICs, that would eventually inform future funding and support models. The digitization of healthcare in LMICs will be context-driven, and as such different implementation models are likely to emerge. Taking the key considerations above into account, such models can be further optimized to respond to the national/regional healthcare needs and pressures.