Role of digital behavior change interventions in combating chronic diseases

Dear Editor, Information and communication technology has revolutionized the healthcare industry tremendously. According to official Telecom Statistics published by India in 2021–2022, the number of Internet subscribers increased to 834.29 million by the end of September 2021.[1] Due to its great usability and capacity to meet people’s demands in various contexts thanks to interactivity, quick information access, and practicality, smartphones and tablets have gained popularity. It is anticipated that using mobile health (mHealth) technology will result in health behavior change. In India, one in four individuals is at risk of dying from chronic illnesses, which include obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.[2] People who reside in the rural parts of India accessing health care services is challenging due to transportation issues, hence adopting the mHealth services would be an alternative. In many countries, the cost of managing these chronic diseases already accounts for a considerable proportion of all healthcare expenditures. A recent systematic review from America has reported that the high mortality rate linked to chronic diseases is correlated with a more sedentary lifestyle, and non-adherence to treatment plans, which has also been linked to many patient-related factors like forgetfulness, psycho-social stress, anxieties, and low motivation.[3] Behavior change-based interventions using digital technology can be incorporated to improve the care management of patients with chronic diseases. Internet-based interventions to promote health behavior change can be employed by telemedicine, an e-platform system such as educational modules, and wearable digital activity monitor which track physical activity, including daily step counts and active minutes for individuals with sedentary lifestyles can be used. Alarm-triggered reminders make it easier for people to embrace and integrate both the drug and treatment adherence, thus it can reduce the risk of relapse and symptom severity. Digital behavior change interventions (DBCIs) assist and encourage behavior changes that will improve and promote health through primary or secondary prevention and management of health conditions. Additionally, this technology promotes behavioral strategies by sending out health-related information, keeping track of goals, and encouraging behavioral change to enhance people’s health conditions. Once a substantial segment of the population adopts digital interventions for lifestyle adjustments, favorable transformations in health-related behavior will lead to lower healthcare utilization and eventually a significant decrease in healthcare expenditure. At the same time, it is crucial to take into account any potential difficulties when employing technology in a group of older persons given the rise of technology-based treatments to encourage healthy behaviors. Working with this demographic has several difficulties, including low technology efficacy, complicated technology use, and physical constraints.[4] The need for thorough application development is essential, with proper scientific and technical foundations, and evaluation of the effectiveness of these behavioral strategies involving populations with difficulties in accessing the internet and information technology as well as involving the elderly population is vital. Business and technology leaders and medical professionals can collaborate to offer more substantial digital transformations, meaningful disruptions, and valuable experiences to aid individuals on the next level by having a deeper grasp of healthcare demands. This strategy can boost technology adoption in the healthcare sector by encouraging small adjustments that build up to considerable improvement. Digital behavioral-based interventions and proper care management can alleviate patient suffering, improve prognostic outcomes, and improve the well-being of patients by adding the vital missing layer of support needed to incorporate behavior change. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.

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