Digital health tools in Unānī medicine: Possibilities and challenges

The integration of digital health tools with Unānī medicine presents a transformative opportunity to preserve, modernize, and expand this centuries-old system of healing for the needs of contemporary healthcare. Rooted in Greco-Arabic traditions and enriched by the works of Hippocrates, Galen, and Avicenna, Unānī medicine is based on the principles of Mizāj (temperament), Akhlāt (humours), and holistic health restoration. Its philosophy emphasizes balance, prevention, lifestyle modification, and dietary regulation, which align closely with the current global shift toward preventive, personalized, and precision medicine. Recent digital health innovations—including artificial intelligence (AI), electronic health records (EHRs), telemedicine, mobile health (mHealth) applications, clinical decision support systems (CDSS), and wearable monitoring devices offer powerful tools to transform Unānī practice, education, and research. However, despite these advances, challenges such as regulatory gaps, technical limitations, digital illiteracy, and lack of data standardization persist, while globalization, patents, intellectual property, and biopiracy pose additional concerns for Unānī medicine. To achieve global recognition, it is essential to modernize this traditional system through advancements in science and technology. By integrating traditional knowledge with modern innovations such as AI-driven diagnostics and telehealth platforms, Unānī medicine can transform into a more scientific, accessible, and patient-focused system. Keeping this view in this paper explores the potential and pitfalls of digitizing Unānī medicine, offers current innovations, challenges, and possibilities for ethical, inclusive, and effective integration of Unānī with digital health platforms.