DIGITAL HEALTH ECOSYSTEMS: ENGINEERING SMART DEVICES, LEGAL FRAMEWORKS, BUSINESS MODELS, AND EDUCATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR BETTER HEALTHCARE

Abstract

The idea of digital health ecosystems development will be discussed in terms of four interdependent perspectives, including engineering smart devices, legal systems, business models and education strategies.The study uses mixed methods and includes secondary data sources such as academic publications, policy papers, and industry reports. This approach aims to identify the current changes in digital health care worldwide and the challenges that come with them. Results show that smart devices, wearables, and IoMT systems can offer real-time monitoring and preventative care in about 60% of cases when used in high-income countries. However, these technologies still struggle with interoperability and cybersecurity problems. Legal systems vary significantly by region. The EU’s GDPR provides a decent level of privacy protection, but the new requirements for implementation hinder innovation. Meanwhile, India is working on the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (2023) but has yet to address issues with enforcing the law. In the telemedicine sector, business models are shifting. Subscription models are growing by around 25% each year, along with hybrid models. However, value-based models have great potential if data management and oversight practices improve significantly. Successful adoption depends on effective educational strategies, as research indicates that over 40% of healthcare professionals do not have training in digital health. This highlights the urgent need to integrate such training into the curriculum. The paper concludes that digital health ecosystems can only become resilient, fair, and sustainable through the collaboration of technology, law, business, and education.