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Digital health is more than just a buzzword; from artificial intelligence (AI) promising to revolutionize healthcare access to wearable technology helping personal trainers track fitness habits outside of the gym setting, the digital health landscape is exploding. It's crucial to understand how leading fitness, science and medical organizations are not just thinking about, but actively shaping, digital health verticals. From policy advocacy to educational programs and technology integration, let’s unpack the steps leading organizations are taking - and not taking - to ensure that digital health initiatives benefit the patients/consumers and professionals they exist to serve.
Take the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) for starters. Of course, ACSM sets the standard for exercise guidelines and knowledge dissemination through position stands, which seek to inform researchers, practitioners and policymakers alike. In addition to their long-standing Exercise is Medicine advocacy initiative, which aims to make physical activity assessment and promotion a standard in clinical settings, ACSM has leaned into advocacy for policies and initiatives that support the use of digital health in healthcare and fitness. Recently, they shared great news that Physical Activity Data Elements have been included as core measures in USCDI v4 - a significant step towards including patient data on current or usual exercise habits will be included in electronic health record platforms.
There exists an opportunity for ACSM and others, like the American Council on Exercise (ACE Fitness), to continue educating fitness professionals and health coaches about how and when digital health can help their services reach more people. To this end, a recent article from ACE contributor Dr. Erin Nitschke tackles the topic of how AI will continue to influence the way health and fitness professionals serve clients and patients, stating in part: “as the boundaries between human expertise and technological innovation blur, it is crucial for health coaches and exercise professionals to understand how AI can augment their skills and elevate their impact.” Notably, ACE regularly releases online continuing education modules and virtual educational events for their certified professional audience - fingers crossed they release more content on AI in the fitness sector!
The American Heart Association (AHA) also plays a significant role in advancing digital health solutions to improve cardiovascular health and overall well-being. For example, AHA hosts innovation challenges and competitions that encourage startups and innovators to develop digital health solutions - learn more about upcoming deadlines here. Additionally, AHA promotes the use of telemedicine and remote monitoring technologies to enhance access to cardiovascular care. Their continuous advocacy for policies that support reimbursement for telehealth services also makes it easier for patients to connect with healthcare providers remotely. Speaking of advocacy, AHA partners with like-minded organizations, like the Physical Activity Alliance, to drive Health Level 7 (HL7) initiatives forward. HL7 bridges the gap between health IT applications and makes sharing healthcare data easier and more efficient.
The American Medical Association (AMA) is hard at work representing the physician perspective as digital technologies and AI forever influence the way patients expect care to be delivered. They offer comprehensive resources for providers, tackling topics from telehealth laws and policies to telehealth ethics. AMA offers a comprehensive resource, the Digital Health Implementation Series, which “helps physicians extend care beyond the exam room” by walking through practical considerations and selection criteria. The AMA is also heavily involved in advocacy for policies and regulations that foster the responsible and effective use of digital health technologies.
As digital health continues to redefine various facets of the healthcare continuum, health and wellness practitioners increasingly turn to organizations such as ACSM, ACE, AHA, AMA, and others for guidance and leadership. Here’s to hoping these leaders continue pushing the envelope in a way that benefits both patients / consumers and providers, while maintaining ethics and prioritizing science!
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