Digital solutions for disease prevention: perspectives of citizens, care providers, companies and governments

Summary: As our healthcare system is transitioning toward a more personalized and preventive healthcare approach, enabled by the digital transformation, it is crucial to understand the perspectives of citizens, healthcare providers, companies, and policymakers regarding the use of digital technology solutions for disease prevention and health promotion. Background: Our healthcare system is in transition towards a more personalized and preventive healthcare approach, which is enabled by the digital transformation. Lifestyle technologies are playing a crucial role, empowering individuals to manage their health while simultaneously relieving caregivers of traditional burdens. As these innovative solutions gain prominence, it is essential to explore the perspectives of citizens, healthcare providers, technology developers, and policymakers regarding the integration of digital tools for disease prevention and health promotion. This understanding is essential to smoothly incorporate digital technology solutions in today’s healthcare practices. Objectives: The aim of this research was to capture the perspectives and values of the quadruple helix stakeholders (civil society, primary care sector, technology sector, and government sector), but especially citizens, on digital technology solutions in disease prevention and health promotion. Design: Five workshops were conducted with different stakeholder groups in Flanders. We organised a group discussion with a group of adolescents, a workshop with 17 policymakers, a workshop with 29 primary care actors, a workshop with 13 representatives from companies, and a workshop with 13 representatives from care organisations. Results: The workshops provided us with valuable insights into how different stakeholder groups envision the role of digital technology solutions in disease prevention and health promotion. The group discussion with adolescents revealed the contrast between their perspectives and those of adults regarding privacy in the context of digital technology solutions. Overall, the adolescents had a more accepting attitude toward the loss of privacy. The workshop with policymakers highlighted consensus on prioritizing end-users' perspectives in healthcare technology development but identified areas like data ownership and citizen participation requiring further reflection. In the primary care workshop, the emphasis was on inclusive digital health strategies, ensuring technology bridges gaps and does not widen disparities. Finally, the workshop with companies emphasized disparities in technology developers' willingness to centralize end-users, with some embracing the approach while others expressed hesitation due to perceived added time and cost. Conclusion: This study provides insights into the integration of digital technology solutions in disease prevention and health promotion within our transitioning healthcare system. Five workshops engaged diverse stakeholders, revealing perspectives from citizens, primary care actors, companies, and policymakers. The seemingly conflicting views between adolescents and adults on privacy issues or between policymakers and technology developers on centralizing end-users, emphasize the need to harmonize the different stakeholder perspectives to a common understanding in order to reach the full potential of digital technology solutions in disease prevention and health promotion. Therefore, the topic will be further investigated in 8 additional focus groups with civil society, the primary care sector, the technology sector, and the government sector.