Integrating Digital Health into Medical Education Curricula Remains Elusive

Strategic Insights -

Research conducted at Mbarara University of Science and Technology has revealed that integrating digital health literacy into medical education curricula is a slow and challenging process worldwide. Despite the importance of digital health in reshaping the future of healthcare, many medical schools still struggle to incorporate digital health into their curricula due to a lack of infrastructure, educational materials, and bureaucratic tendencies. The study highlights the need for concerted efforts, political commitment, and financial support to overcome these challenges and provide comprehensive digital health education to future healthcare professionals.

Key Takeaways:

  • The global strategy for digital health advocates digital health literacy in formal education and training curricula for all health professionals, but little is known about the enablers and challenges of integrating digital health into medical training curricula.
  • The enablers identified in the study include the need for healthcare digitalization, reshaping the future daily work of healthcare professionals, decreasing students' doubts about digital health, and increasing the quality of patients' care.
  • The challenges identified include a lack of infrastructure and educational materials, the dense nature of the existing curriculum, and bureaucratic tendencies.
  • Implementation strategies for mitigating these challenges include the provision of consolidated funds, the establishment of dedicated digital health infrastructure, and the provision of awareness and education to stakeholders.
  • Global progress toward integrating digital health literacy in formal medical training curricula remains slow, and concerted efforts and political commitment are needed to overcome the identified challenges.
  • The study involved a scoping review of 30 studies published between 2014 and 2024, which were analyzed using Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review methodology.

Statistics:

  • 30 studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed in the scoping review.
  • The studies were published between 2014 and 2024, a period of 10 years.
  • The analysis identified 15 enablers and challenges of integrating digital health into medical education curricula.

Sources:

  • Enablers and challenges of integrating digital health into medical education curricula: a scoping review. Discover Education, 2025, 4(1):1-31.
  • A free version of this journal article is available at https://doi-org.sdpl.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s44217-025-00793-z.
  • Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Computing and Informatics. Contact information: Wilson Tumuhimbise (primary author).