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A full-STAC remedy for global digital health transformation: open standards, technologies, architectures and content

Garrett Mehl
Martin Seneviratne
Matt L. Berg
Suhel Bidani
Rebecca L. Distler
Marelize Gorgens
Karin Kallander
Alain B. Labrique
Mark S. Landry
Carl Leitner
Peter Lubell-Doughtie
Alvin D Marcelo
Von Nguyen
Jennifer Nelson
Jean Philbert Nsengimana
Maeghan Orton
Daniel R Otzoy Garcia
Daniel R Oyaole
Natschja Ratanaprayul
Susann Roth
Merrick P Schaefer
Dykki Settle
Jing Tang
Barakissa Tien-Wahser
Steven Wanyee
Fred Hersch
Oxford Open Digital Health (2023)

Abstract

The global digital health ecosystem is project-centric: point solutions are developed for vertical health programs and financed through vertical funding allocations. This results in data fragmentation and technology lock-in, compromising health care delivery. A convergence of trends enabled by interoperability and digital governance makes possible a shift towards person-focused health. Together, open Standards, open Technologies, open Architectures and open Content represent a next-generation ‘full-STAC’ remedy for digital health transformation. Local developers and implementers can avoid reinventing the wheel, and instead build digital tools suited to local needs—where data travels with an individual over time, evidence-based practice is easily integrated, and insights are gleaned from harmonized data. This is the culmination of the vision endorsed by 194 WHO Member States in the Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020 to 2025.

Research Areas