Digital health education and mHealth ◊

According to the WHO, the effectiveness of digital health education and outcomes vary broadly depending on the learning objectives.

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Different types of digital health education (e.g. online digital education, mobile phones, virtual reality, and gamification), delivery mode (e.g. fully digital or blended), instructional method (e.g. simulations, direct instruction), assessment methods (i.e. use of validated or non-validated instruments), learning pedagogies (e.g. digital problem-based learning or digital team-based learning), study population (e.g. nurses, allied health professionals, doctors), and the topic, discipline and health condition being taught (e.g. smoking cessation, diabetes management, domestic violence, antibiotic management, dermatology, child health, elderly care), all impact the learning outcomes (World Health Organization, 2020).

The digital divide phenomenon may be a significant barrier for students because of the unequal access to digital education among countries (World Health Organization, 2020). Additionally, further research, evaluations, collaborations and investments are required to enhance methods for digital educations’ effective use (World Health Organization, 2020).

One method for shaping digital education might approach a combination of knowledge, skills, and professional attitudes in the clinical or public health fields. For example, effective communication between patients and healthcare professionals in the clinical context includes knowledge of ethics, sociology, psychology, interpersonal skills, and attitudes (Fox et al., 2017).