letter in reply

Oman Medical Journal [2019], Vol. 34, No. 5: 476 

Letter in Reply: Chronic Diseases Management Using Digital Health Technologies

Ahmed Al Kuwaiti1*, Fahd A. Al Muhanna2 and Saad Al Amri3

1Department of Dental Education, College of Dentistry and Deanship of Quality and Academic Accreditation, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia

2Department of Internal Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia

3Department of English, Deanship of Information and Communication Technology, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia

article info

Article history:

Received: 1 October 2018

Accepted: 1 October 2018

Online:

DOI 10.5001/omj.2019.88

Dear Editor,

We sincerely thank the authors for their thought-provoking comments on our manuscript.1 Our article has observed non-communicable diseases as a major cause of deaths in the Saudi population. Subsequently, we described the application of digital health technologies (DHTs) in the detection and management of these diseases. Mobile applications are capable of improving health outcomes in diabetic patients through self-management and symptom control.2 DHT can reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes and positively influence on risk factors for CVD.3 Such technologies can also be applied to manage other chronic diseases such as hypertension, asthma, arthritis, and Parkinson’s disease. Several studies have also discussed the application of mobile health technology in improving medical adherence in patients with various chronic conditions such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, chronic pulmonary obstructive disease, and diabetes.4,5 In cases of hypertension, mobile applications have specific tools for medication adherence and blood pressure tracking through a wireless monitor.6 We focused on discussing the implementation of DHT at academic medical centers to fulfill the needs of local community. Moreover, such technologies can also be applied in primary health care for the prevention and management of chronic diseases. There is no doubt that the global health sector would see a paradigm shift in the views on DHT, and patients would benefit from its unlimited potential.

references

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