Table 2 Types of digital health technologies, according to general goal and the system’s autonomy level

Real-time responder (with automatic responses and automatic warnings)

Digital health works as an automatic acute responder to the worsening of symptoms or emergency situations that tracks patients 24/7 (e.g. an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), which automatically acts upon arrhythmias and additionally transfers real-time data to the healthcare professional).

Very high

Scheduled monitoring system with automatic warnings

The digital health technology acquires data in a scheduled manner and issues automatic warnings for the patient and/or health professional when necessary (e.g. a smart medicine box that indicates when to take the medication and alerts patient and/or physician when medication is not taken).

High

Digital assistant for an independent user

Digital health guides patients to take action independently, while the physician controls patients’ health through scheduled appointments (e.g. an insulin pump that is fully controlled by the patient, while the physician follows up the patient’s health through planned appointments).

Medium

Digital registry

Digital health works as a digital registry that is regularly evaluated by the physician in a scheduled manner (e.g. patients with cardiovascular diseases monitor their physiological parameters from home with a device coupled to their electronic medical records; while their health is reviewed together with their physicians, during scheduled medical appointments).

Medium

‘Nudger’

Digital health encourages patients to change behaviour patterns to live healthier, or to prevent or improve a condition (e.g. coaching apps that help with diet, sport, human contact, etc.).

Medium - Low

Communication tool

Digital health is used as a communication support tool, in addition to the traditional ways to access medical care (e.g. primary care eConsults).

Low