Reimagining Digital Healthcare for Development: A Conceptual Review

The transfer and implementation of digital technologies (DTs) are viewed as critical for the development of healthcare services in emerging societies. However, such approaches have left the full potential of DTs for healthcare services largely unfulfilled. This research commences with a conceptual review of human development as discussed in the Information Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) literature and the United Nations Development Programme Human Development Reports (UNDP HDRs), a widely recognized resource for international discussions on development. It reveals opportunities in ICT4D research to shift its emphasis from the transfer of DTs as a means of development to social aspects of human development to address global healthcare challenges as discussed in the UNDP HDRs. Hence, we propose a reimagined perspective that draws attention to the complex interrelations between the technology, information, and social artifacts that may better leverage the potential of DTs for the advancement of human development and health.