Dr. Elizabeth Essel
Application of Digital Technology to Obesity
Notably, obesity as the contextual topic of choice is a global health issue. Even with it being a global health issue, the application and use of digital technology to obesity can be beneficial I different ways. These benefits will collectively revolve and target reduction and if possible eradication of obesity as a global health issue. Such benefits will include. First, digital technology will be beneficial to obesity as a global health issue for they will result in the reduction of health costs. With obesity being a health issue and medical condition, such hence accounts that obese patients will undergo a series of treatment and management. The management and treatment of obesity for obese patients will involve the presence of medications, bariatric surgery as well as lifestyle changes such as dietary and physical exercise (Wyatt, 2013). Such hence accounts that, for obese patients to receive the treatment and management of their condition, they must incur costs such as medication cost, surgical cost as well as transport cost to the healthcare facility.
However, and remarkably, digital technology will reduce all the above health costs. For instance, in agreement with Fogel & Kvedar (2016), an obese patient from their home can access medical service using consumer-grade technology such as mobile devices as well as wearable sensors that are in conjunction with medical services. Such is possible through digital technology since it has brought into existence of digital therapeutics. These digital therapeutics are specifically technology-based solutions which have a clinical impact on diseases when compared to the drug-solutions (Fogel & Kvedar, 2016). Through such above mentioned, and based on the digital therapeutics concept and feature, digital technology will hence help in reducing the health cost of obesity to the obese patient related to their treatment and management.
Besides, digital technology is beneficial to obesity since it offers a platform for the effective management of the obese patients. Such will be achieved through various ways. For instance, and to start with, digital technology helps increase patient engagement in self-care (Lupton, 2013). Besides, digital technology also helps closing communication gaps that would otherwise be witnessed in the case where the patient and the healthcare personnel lacks an open and free communication platform. Further to mention, digital technology also helps identify as well as tailor services in accordance with the patients' needs which initiates the presence of person-centered health care services. Arguably, the above mentioned will collectively help digital technology in improving the health outcomes to the obese patient (Lupton, 2013). Such hence facilitate the presence of a high perfuming healthcare system which hence acts as a platform for effective management of the obese patients.
In conclusion, even with the above-mentioned benefits to global health issues, digital technology has certain drawbacks to obesity. These drawbacks will hinder the eradication or reduction of obesity as a global health issue. A major drawback is that digital technology is a primary contributing factor to the presence of obesity. In agreement with Butler-Wall (2015), more often, digital technology has been a platform that has limited more individuals such as children in engaging in physical activity. More often, because of digital technology, a large portion of children spent a solid part of their time sited when engaging in digital technology stuffs such as playing games which hence denies them the opportunity to engage in physical activity. These children are at high risk of being obese in future (Butler-Wall, 2015). Besides, digital technology will offer a large content of information. Arguably, some of the content is incorrect, and in the case where an obese patient embraces such in the management, there is the likelihood that the patient condition will deteriorate (Butler-Wall, 2015).
References
Wyatt, H. R. (2013). Update on treatment strategies for obesity. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 98(4), 1299-1306.
Lupton, D. (2013). The digitally engaged patient: Self-monitoring and self-care in the digital health era. Social Theory & Health, 11(3), 256-270.
Butler-Wall, K. (2015). Risky measures: Digital technologies and the governance of child obesity. WSQ: Women's Studies Quarterly, 43(1), 228-245.
Fogel, A., & Kvedar, J. (2016). Simple Digital Technologies Can Reduce the Health Care Costs. Harvard Business School Publishing.