Do digital technologies reduce racially biased reporting? Evidence from NYPD administrative data.

Recent work has emphasized the disproportionate bias faced by minorities when interacting with law enforcement. However, research on the topic has been hampered by biased sampling in administrative data, namely that records of police interactions with citizens only reflect information on the civilians that police elect to investigate, and not civilians that police observe but do not investigate. In this work, we address a related bias in administrative police data which has received less empirical attention, namely reporting biases around investigations that have taken place. Further, we investigate whether digital monitoring tools help mitigate this reporting bias. To do so, we examine changes in reports of interactions between law enforcement and citizens in the wake of the New York City Police Department's replacement of analog memo books with mobile smartphones. Results from a staggered difference in differences estimation indicate a significant increase in reports of citizen stops once the new smartphones are deployed. Importantly, we observe that the rise is driven by increased reports of "unproductive" stops, stops involving non-White citizens, and stops occurring in areas characterized by a greater concentration of crime and non-White residents. These results reinforce the recent observation that prior work has likely underestimated the extent of racial bias in policing. Further, they highlight that the implementation of digital monitoring tools can mitigate the issue to some extent.

HCI-modelling for improving the clinical usability of digital health technologies.

INTRODUCTION: Digital Health Technologies (DHTs) have been shown to have variable usability as measured by efficiency, effectiveness and user satisfaction despite large-scale government projects to regulate and standardise user interface (UI) design. We hypothesised that Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) modelling could improve the methodology for DHT design and regulation, and support the creation of future evidence-based UI standards and guidelines for DHTs. METHODOLOGY: Using a Design Science Research (DSR) framework, we developed novel UI components that adhered to existing standards and guidelines (combining the NHS Common User Interface (CUI) standard and the NHS Design System). We firstly evaluated the Patient Banner UI component for compliance with the two guidelines and then used HCI-modelling to evaluate the "Add New Patient" workflow to measure time to task completion and cognitive load. RESULTS: Combining the two guidelines to produce new UI elements is technically feasible for the Patient Banner and the Patient Name Input components. There are some inconsistencies between the NHS Design System and the NHS CUI when implementing the Patient Banner. HCI-modelling successfully quantified challenges adhering to the NHS CUI and the NHS Design system for the "Add New Patient" workflow. DISCUSSION: We successfully developed new design artefacts combing two major design guidelines for DHTs. By quantifying usability issues using HCI-modelling, we have demonstrated the feasibility of a methodology that combines HCI-modelling into a human-centred design (HCD) process could enable the development of standardised UI elements for DHTs that is more scientifically robust than HCD alone. CONCLUSION: Combining HCI-modelling and Human-Centred Design could improve scientific progress towards developing safer and more user-friendly DHTs.

Digital Technologies in Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Science Advisory From the American Heart Association.

Cardiac rehabilitation has strong evidence of benefit across many cardiovascular conditions but is underused. Even for those patients who participate in cardiac rehabilitation, there is the potential to better support them in improving behaviors known to promote optimal cardiovascular health and in sustaining those behaviors over time. Digital technology has the potential to address many of the challenges of traditional center-based cardiac rehabilitation and to augment care delivery. This American Heart Association science advisory was assembled to guide the development and implementation of digital cardiac rehabilitation interventions that can be translated effectively into clinical care, improve health outcomes, and promote health equity. This advisory thus describes the individual digital components that can be delivered in isolation or as part of a larger cardiac rehabilitation telehealth program and highlights challenges and future directions for digital technology generally and when used in cardiac rehabilitation specifically. It is also intended to provide guidance to researchers reporting digital interventions and clinicians implementing these interventions in practice and to advance a framework for equity-centered digital health in cardiac rehabilitation.

De Wet Swanepoel: using digital technologies to improve access to hearing health.

De Wet Swanepoel talks to Gary Humphreys about leveraging the power of digital health technologies to improve access to hearing health care.

Cardiovascular Disease Screening in Women: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Digital Tools.

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in women. Given accumulating evidence on sex- and gender-based differences in cardiovascular disease development and outcomes, the need for more effective approaches to screening for risk factors and phenotypes in women is ever urgent. Public health surveillance and health care delivery systems now continuously generate massive amounts of data that could be leveraged to enable both screening of cardiovascular risk and implementation of tailored preventive interventions across a woman's life span. However, health care providers, clinical guidelines committees, and health policy experts are not yet sufficiently equipped to optimize the collection of data on women, use or interpret these data, or develop approaches to targeting interventions. Therefore, we provide a broad overview of the key opportunities for cardiovascular screening in women while highlighting the potential applications of artificial intelligence along with digital technologies and tools.

Paediatric Rheumatology Fails to Meet Current Benchmarks, a Call for Health Equity for Children Living with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, Using Digital Health Technologies.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This critical review begins by presenting the history of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) management. To move the conversation forward in addressing the current shortcomings that exist in the clinical management of children living with JIA, we argue that to date, the advancement of successful treatments for JIA has been historically slow. Factors implicated in this situation include a lack of rigorous research, JIA being considered a rare disease, and JIA's idiopathic and complex pathophysiology. RECENT FINDINGS: Despite the well-intended legislative changes to increase paediatric research, and the major advancements seen in molecular medicine over the last 30 years, globally, paediatric rheumatology services are still failing to meet the current benchmarks of best practice. Provoking questions on how the longstanding health care disparities of poor access and delayed treatment for children living with JIA can be improved, to improve healthcare outcomes. Globally, paediatric rheumatology services are failing to meet the current benchmarks of best practice. Raising awareness of the barriers hindering JIA management is the first step in reducing the current health inequalities experienced by children living with JIA. Action must be taken now, to train and well-equip the paediatric rheumatology interdisciplinary workforce. We propose, a resource-efficient way to improve the quality of care provided could be achieved by embedding digital health into clinical practice, to create an integrative care model between the children, general practice and the paediatric rheumatology team. To improve fragmented service delivery and the coordination of interdisciplinary care, across the healthcare system.

The Growing Role of Digital Health Tools in the Care of Patients with Cancer: Current Use, Future Opportunities, and Barriers to Effective Implementation.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This article aims to describe the ways in which digital health technologies are currently being used to improve the delivery of cancer care, highlight opportunities to expand their use, and discuss barriers to effective and equitable implementation. RECENT FINDINGS: The utilization of digital health tools and development of novel care delivery models that leverage such tools is expanding. Recent studies have shown feasibility and increased implementation in the setting of oncologic care. With technological advances and key policy changes, utilization of digital health tools has greatly increased over the past two decades and transformed how cancer care is delivered. As digital health tools are expanded and refined, there is potential for improved access to and quality and efficiency of cancer care. However, careful consideration should be given to key barriers of digital health tool adoption, such as infrastructural, patient-level, and health systems-level challenges, to ensure equitable access to care and improvement in health outcomes.

From office to digital primary care services: analysing income-related inequalities in utilization.

The use of digital technologies to deliver primary health care has increased over the past decade. While some technologies have been shown to be medically effective and efficient, the effects of digital primary care on the policy goal of equality in the use of such types of care have not been studied using large register data. The aim of this study was to analyse how digital contacts differ from officebased visits by income as an indicator of socioeconomic status. Specifically, we estimated differences in primary care utilization across income, factors of contribution to these inequalities, and applied a needs-based standardisation of utilization to estimate differences in equity.We used a purposively built consultation level dataset with 726 000 Swedish adult patients diagnosed with an infection, including clinical and sociodemographic variables. Applying concentration indexes (CI) and graphical illustrations we measured how the two types of services are distributed relative to income. We estimated how much of the inequalities were attributed to different sociodemographic factors by decomposing the concentration indexes. Standardised utilization for sex, age and comorbidity allowed for the estimation of horizontal inequity indexes for both types of services.Utilization by the two types of care showed large income inequalities. Office-based visits were propoor (CI -0.116), meaning lowincome patients utilized relatively more of these services, while digital contacts were prorich (CI 0.205). However, within the patient group who had at least one digital contact, the utilization was also propoor (CI -0,101), although these patients had higher incomes on average. The standardised utilization showed a smaller prorich digital utilization (CI 0.143), although large differences remained. Decomposing the concentration indexes showed that education level and being born in Sweden were strong attributes of prorich digital service utilization.The prorich utilization effects of digital primary care may risk undermining the policy goals of access and utilization to services regardless of socioeconomic status. As digital health technologies continue to expand, policy makers need to be aware of the risk.

Top 10 research priorities for digital technology for adolescents and young persons with inflammatory bowel disease: Results of a James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership.

OBJECTIVES: Priority Setting Partnerships (PSP's) using the James Lind Alliance (JLA) methodology, bring together health professionals, patients and parents/carers to identify and prioritise unanswered questions that can be addressed by future research projects. To identify and prioritise the top 10 unanswered research priorities in digital technology for adolescents and young people (AYP) with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). METHODS: A steering group (SG) consisting of AYP with IBD, their parents/carers, representatives from two charities (Crohn's & Colitis UK, Crohn's in Childhood Research Association), patient information forum and paediatric and adult and primary care healthcare professionals was established in 2021. The SG agreed the protocol, and scope of the PSP and oversaw all aspects. SG meetings were chaired by a JLA advisor and followed the established JLA methodology. RESULTS: The initial survey generated 414 in-scope questions from 156 respondents, thematically categorised into 10 themes and consolidated into 92 summary questions by the SG. A comprehensive literature review followed by SG deliberation narrowed the unanswered summary questions to 45, for the interim prioritising survey. One hundred and two respondents ranked their top 10 research questions. Outputs generated top 18 research priorities presented at a final virtual prioritisation workshop, facilitated by JLA advisors and attended by key stakeholders, ranked into top 10 research priorities. DISCUSSION: The top 10 research priorities will encourage researchers to undertake research that addresses these areas of unmet need for AYP living with IBD, their parents/carers and their healthcare professionals, thereby facilitating improved patient care.

Does digital-industrial technology integration reduce corporate carbon emissions?

The integration of digital technology and industrial technology emerges as a pivotal avenue for enterprises to attain Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), promoting the transition towards a sustainable and green trajectory of development. The panel data utilized in this paper encompasses financial, operational, and carbon emission metrics of publicly listed companies in China from 2008 to 2019. This longitudinal dataset enables us to perform robust statistical analyses to evaluate the impacts of Digital-Industrial technology integration on carbon emission intensity over time. The results indicate that: (i) Digital-Industrial technology integration significantly reduces the carbon emission intensity of enterprises, the conclusion remains robust when subjected to endogeneity and sensitivity analyses. (ii) Digital-Industrial technology integration mainly reduces the marginal cost of production and enhances the accumulation of knowledge to reduce the carbon emission intensity of enterprises. (iii) Digital-Industrial Technology Integration manifests more pronounced effects in curbing carbon emissions in regions characterized by robust property rights protection and well-developed digital infrastructure. (iv) Further research finds that Digital-Industrial technology integration increases the green technology innovation and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) performance of enterprises. The results of this study provide empirical evidence for the carbon emission reduction function of the Digital-Industrial technology integration, and also verify the positive externality impact of the Digital-Industrial technology integration on the enterprise green innovation and SDGs.

INNOVATIONS IN DIGITAL HEALTH TO IMPROVE CARE DELIVERY: THE BJC HEALTHCARE/WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE HEALTHCARE INNOVATION LAB.

The Healthcare Innovation Lab, established by BJC HealthCare and Washington University School of Medicine, has catalyzed care delivery innovations since 2017. Focusing on digital health to enhance care delivery and patient outcomes, the Lab emphasizes predictive analytics, digital point-of-care tools, and remote patient monitoring. The Lab identifies innovative ideas that align with the health system mission and deliver empiric value to its patients and care teams. Since its inception, the Lab has vetted 507 ideas, piloting 98, with a success rate of 40%. Examples include a predictive model to improve palliative care referrals and goal-of-care discussions, a digital approach to non-emergent medical transportation that enhances access and equity, and a COVID-19 home monitoring program that proved essential during the pandemic. These initiatives underscore the importance of integrating digital technology with health care, balancing innovation with practical application, and using a data-informed approach to innovation selection and assessment.

The impact of digital technology in care homes on unplanned secondary care usage and associated costs.

BACKGROUND: A substantial number of Emergency Department (ED) attendances by care home residents are potentially avoidable. Health Call Digital Care Homes is an app-based technology that aims to streamline residents' care by recording their observations such as vital parameters electronically. Observations are triaged by remote clinical staff. This study assessed the effectiveness of the Health Call technology to reduce unplanned secondary care usage and associated costs. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of health outcomes and economic impact based on an intervention. The study involved 118 care homes across the North East of UK from 2018 to 2021. Routinely collected NHS secondary care data from County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust was linked with data from the Health Call app. Three outcomes were modelled monthly using Generalised Linear Mixed Models: counts of emergency attendances, emergency admissions and length of stay of emergency admissions. A similar approach was taken for costs. The impact of Health Call was tested on each outcome using the models. FINDINGS: Data from 8,702 residents were used in the analysis. Results show Health Call reduces the number of emergency attendances by 11% [6-15%], emergency admissions by 25% [20-39%] and length of stay by 11% [3-18%] (with an additional month-by-month decrease of 28% [24-34%]). The cost analysis found a cost reduction of £57 per resident in 2018, increasing to £113 in 2021. INTERPRETATION: The introduction of a digital technology, such as Health Call, could significantly reduce contacts with and costs resulting from unplanned secondary care usage by care home residents.

Digital technologies to prevent falls in people living with dementia or mild cognitive impairment: a rapid systematic overview of systematic reviews.

OBJECTIVE: Falls are a common cause of potentially preventable death, disability and loss of independence with an annual estimated cost of £4.4bn. People living with dementia (PlwD) or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have an increased fall risk. This overview evaluates evidence for technologies aiming to reduce falls and fall risk for PlwD or MCI. METHODS: In October 2022, we searched five databases for evidence syntheses. We used standard methods to rapidly screen, extract data, assess risk of bias and overlap, and synthesise the evidence for each technology type. RESULTS: We included seven systematic reviews, incorporating 22 relevant primary studies with 1,412 unique participants. All reviews had critical flaws on AMSTAR-2: constituent primary studies were small, heterogeneous, mostly non-randomised and assessed as low or moderate quality. Technologies assessed were: wearable sensors, environmental sensor-based systems, exergaming, virtual reality systems. We found no evidence relating to apps. Review evidence for the direct impact on falls was available only from environmental sensors, and this was inconclusive. For wearables and virtual reality technologies there was evidence that technologies may differentiate PlwD who fell from those who did not; and for exergaming that balance may be improved. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence for technology to reduce falls and falls risk for PlwD and MCI is methodologically weak, based on small numbers of participants and often indirect. There is a need for higher-quality RCTs to provide robust evidence for effectiveness of fall prevention technologies. Such technologies should be designed with input from users and consideration of the wider implementation context.

Impact of digital technologies on implant surgery in fully edentulous patients: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: For over three decades, digital technologies have been used in Implant Dentistry, beginning with the introduction of planning software for Static Computer-Assisted Implant Surgery (S-CAIS). During this time, this field has witnessed the emergence of diverse methodologies and a proliferation of technological advancements. Today, S-CAIS is a widely adopted procedure for the placement of dental implants in both partially and fully edentulous patients, with Dynamic Computer-Assisted Surgery (D-CAIS) and Robotic-Assisted Implant Surgery (RAIS) rapidly gaining attention among dental professionals. The continuous advancements in this arena are not merely indicative of technological progress; they represent a steadfast dedication to refining precision, enhancing efficiency, and fostering innovation with the goal of optimizing patient outcomes in dental implantology. AIMS: The purpose of the following review is to meticulously examine the spectrum of digital technologies available and to describe their protocols, advantages, and shortcomings as well as to evaluate their accuracy in implant surgery in patients with complete edentulism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A scoping review was performed following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) protocols, leveraging the population, concept, and context (PCC) framework to construct the research question and determine the inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS: Two hundred and sixty-seven records were identified for screening. After applying all the screening criteria, 41 articles were included for review and qualitative data analysis. DISCUSSION: S-CAIS, D-CAIS, and RAIS were identified as the main technologies for computer assisted implant surgery. Their applications, characteristics, protocols and levels of accuracy were compared and described. CONCLUSION: Taking into consideration the limitations of this study, S-CAIS appears to be the most applied and validated technology in implant surgery for fully edentulous patients followed by D-CAIS and RAIS being these last two promising initiatives in the field. Despite having similar levels of accuracy, the overall comparison showed a slightly higher values in RAIS followed by D-CAIS and S-CAIS.

The use of digital technologies in peri-implant soft tissue augmentation - A narrative review on planning, measurements, monitoring and aesthetics.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the different uses and modalities of digital technologies to diagnose, plan and monitor peri-implant soft tissue conditions and aesthetics. METHODS: A comprehensive narrative review of pertinent literature was conducted, critically appraising key digital technologies that may assist peri-implant soft tissue augmentation and assessment. An electronic search on four databases including studies published prior to 1st July 2023 was performed and supplemented by a manual search. RESULTS: Predominantly, tools such as cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), intraoral scanning (iOS), intraoral ultrasonography and digital spectrophotometry were commonly to assess and monitor peri-implant soft tissues. The main clinical and research applications included: (i) initial assessment of mucosal thickness, supra-crestal tissue height and keratinized mucosa width, (ii) evaluation of peri-implant soft tissue health and inflammation, (iii) monitoring profilometric changes and midfacial mucosal margin stability over time and (iv) aesthetic evaluation through colour assessment. While evidence for some digital tools may be limited, the integration of digital technologies into peri-implant soft tissue management holds great promise. These technologies offer improved precision, comfort and speed in assessment, benefiting both patients and clinicians. CONCLUSION: As digital technologies progress, their full potential in peri-implant soft tissue augmentation and their value will become more evident with ongoing research. Embracing these innovations and their potential benefits is recommended to ensure that during progress in implant dentistry, patient care is not hindered.

Assessment of Digital Dentistry Knowledge and Practices Among Dental Students at King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND Digital dental (DD) technologies need to be developed for dental use because of the prominent position that these technologies have recently acquired. This 21-item online questionnaire-based study aimed to assess the understanding of DD methods in 120 undergraduate dental students at King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia (SA). MATERIAL AND METHODS Electronic surveys were sent to 123 dental students at different study phases (basic, preclinical, and clinical). Dental students were requested to answer the questionnaires in accordance with their knowledge, observations, particular experiences, and DD practice. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, which involved numerical values and ratios. Then, the associations among study level, knowledge, practice, and study phases were analyzed using chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS Completed questionnaires were returned by 120 students. The chi-square test showed significant differences in relation to questions "Do you have any previous knowledge of DD?", "The field that uses DD the most is…", "Does DD provide more precise results than conventional dentistry?", and "Do you know about CAD/CAM?", with P values of 0.006, 0.000, 0.018, and 0.002, respectively. Students at clinical phase exhibited significantly higher levels of knowledge than those at the preclinical phase (P<0.01). With regard to DD practice, 73.3% of students expressed a negative viewpoint, 82.5% stated that DD is essential for the future, and half said that practicing DD will result in improvements in patient satisfaction, time consumed, and level of predictability. CONCLUSIONS Students at basic, preclinical, and clinical phases had good knowledge on DD and were motivated to practice it in future in their workplaces.

Does digital technology make people healthier: the impact of digital use on the lifestyle of Chinese older adults.

BACKGROUND: With the arrival of the era of large-scale production, sharing and application of data, digital use has gradually changed people's daily entertainment, consumption, social interaction, learning and other behaviors in its efficient form. This paper mainly discusses whether this fast and convenient behavior leads Chinese older adults to adopt healthier lifestyles. METHODS: Using the most recent information from the Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS) in 2020, this paper conducted a descriptive statistical analysis on the basic situation of digital use and lifestyles among Chinese older adults and used a structural equation model to analyse the influence of frequency and types of digital use in a variety of different aspects of the real life of Chinese older adults. RESULTS: Research revealed that the quality of life of Chinese older adults improved significantly as a result of their use of digital technology. The frequency of digital use (FDU) significantly improved Chinese older adults' diet, sleep, exercise, smoking and drinking, and relieved their depression. The types of digital use (TDU) had a significant positive correlation with the lifestyle of Chinese older adults, especially in the influence of digital entertainment (DE), digital consumption (DC) and digital social interaction (DI) on the lifestyle of Chinese older adults. CONCLUSIONS: Digital use can improve the health of Chinese older adults by promoting a healthy lifestyle through various means. The findings of this study have a substantial positive impact on bridging the digital divide that Chinese older adults face, as well as fostering the integration of digital use into their healthy lifestyles.

The effectiveness of mental health interventions involving non-specialists and digital technology in low-and middle-income countries - a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Combining non-specialists and digital technologies in mental health interventions could decrease the mental healthcare gap in resource scarce countries. This systematic review examined different combinations of non-specialists and digital technologies in mental health interventions and their effectiveness in reducing the mental healthcare gap in low-and middle-income countries. METHODS: Literature searches were conducted in four databases (September 2023), three trial registries (January-February 2022), and using forward and backward citation searches (May-June 2022). The review included primary studies on mental health interventions combining non-specialists and digital technologies in low-and middle-income countries. The outcomes were: (1) the mental health of intervention receivers and (2) the competencies of non-specialists to deliver mental health interventions. Data were expressed as standardised effect sizes (Cohen's d) and narratively synthesised. Risk of bias assessment was conducted using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tools for individual and cluster randomised and non-randomised controlled trials. RESULTS: Of the 28 included studies (n = 32 interventions), digital technology was mainly used in non-specialist primary-delivery treatment models for common mental disorders or subthreshold symptoms. The competencies of non-specialists were improved with digital training (d ≤ 0.8 in 4/7 outcomes, n = 4 studies, 398 participants). The mental health of receivers improved through non-specialist-delivered interventions, in which digital technologies were used to support the delivery of the intervention (d > 0.8 in 24/40 outcomes, n = 11, 2469) or to supervise the non-specialists' work (d = 0.2-0.8 in 10/17 outcomes, n = 3, 3096). Additionally, the mental health of service receivers improved through digitally delivered mental health services with non-specialist involvement (d = 0.2-0.8 in 12/27 outcomes, n = 8, 2335). However, the overall certainty of the evidence was poor. CONCLUSION: Incorporating digital technologies into non-specialist mental health interventions tended to enhance non-specialists' competencies and knowledge in intervention delivery, and had a positive influence on the severity of mental health problems, mental healthcare utilization, and psychosocial functioning outcomes of service recipients, primarily within primary-deliverer care models. More robust evidence is needed to compare the magnitude of effectiveness and identify the clinical relevance of specific digital functions. Future studies should also explore long-term and potential adverse effects and interventions targeting men and marginalised communities.

The role of digital tools and emerging devices in COVID-19 contact tracing during the first 18 months of the pandemic: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Contact tracing is a public health intervention implemented in synergy with other preventive measures to curb epidemics, like the coronavirus pandemic. The development and use of digital devices have increased worldwide to enhance the contact tracing process. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of tracking coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients using digital solutions. METHODS: Observational studies on digital contact tracing (DCT), published 2020-21, in English were identified through a systematic literature review performed on nine online databases. An ad hoc form was used for data extraction of relevant information. Quality assessment of the included studies was performed with validated tools. A qualitative synthesis of the findings is reported. RESULTS: Over 8000 records were identified and 37 were included in the study: 24 modelling and 13 population-based studies. DCT improved the identification of close contacts of COVID-19 cases and reduced the effective reproduction number of COVID-19-related infections and deaths by over 60%. It impacted positively on societal and economic costs, in terms of lockdowns and use of resources, including staffing. Privacy and security issues were reported in 27 studies. CONCLUSIONS: DCT contributed to curbing the COVID-19 pandemic, especially with the high uptake rate of the devices and in combination with other public health measures, especially conventional contact tracing. The main barriers to the implementation of the devices are uptake rate, security and privacy issues. Public health digitalization and contact tracing are the keys to countries' emergency preparedness for future health crises.