Health Informatics in the ERA of Digital Transformation: Opportunities and Barriers

Abstract

The rapid evolution of digital technologies has transformed healthcare, leading to the emergence of an interdisciplinary field known as Health Informatics, which combines the principles of information technology, data science, and clinical practice to optimize healthcare delivery, improve patient outcomes, and ensure efficient operation of healthcare services. We review how innovative digital technologies and approaches such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data, Blockchain, Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), and Electronic Health Records (EHR) are revolutionizing modern health systems. The major opportunities are derived from better clinical decision-making, personalized medicine, predictive analytics, and greater accessibility to care. Yet, despite these exciting developments, there are still many challenges that remain. High implementation cost, technological inertia, lack of interoperability, data privacy, and security are few challenges that hinder large scale adoption. It provides a critical review of these opportunities and barriers and insights into how to reconcile innovation in technology with practice. Overcoming them will enable the healthcare sector to access the real value of digital transformation that will aid in the areas of patient-centrism and system efficiency.