Amid the horror of a global pandemic, it happened: Digital health exploded. The urgency of the COVID crisis provided a once-in-a-century opportunity to jump-start innovation in preventive care. However, if we are not careful, this opportunity will slip through our hands.
Policymakers enabled access to telehealth and advanced the incorporation of artificial intelligence (A.I.) in medical devices. Governments spent billions to make home COVID testing accessible. The U.S. alone dedicated $47.8 billion to implement a national at-home COVID testing strategy, including improvements in data sharing and diagnostics—roughly $143 per person. Health administrators rose to the occasion and introduced cost-saving digital improvements that accelerated home care and improved the detection of chronic diseases, the leading drivers of death and costs in the U.S.
