Salud digital: una oportunidad y un imperativo ético

Having a satisfactory health status is an absolute must to enjoy a rewarding life; therefore achieving an universal health care coverage is an essential requisite to reach not only the SDG 3 related to Health and Wellness for all by 2030, but to achieve the 17 SGDs, since it is a reality that without health there is neither human nor economic development. In developed countries, Health Care Systems are under huge stress due to the demographic changes, with the increase in life expectancy, and the lack of equity which is becoming an everincreasing problem. In the developing countries, the situation is rather challenging due to the chronic shortness of human and material resources and the lack of infrastructures. In these countries it seems not appropriate or advisable to replicate the health care model of the advanced economies which, in spite of their enormous costs, show severe deficits of equity, efficiency and user involvement and participation. This is why the only way to achieve universal health coverage is to give priority to health in public policies and budgets, to dignify the job of health care professionals and to enhance the prominent role of the citizen as a patient by using the huge innovative possibilities that the new medical technologies and digital medicine bring. Digitalization is an indispensable tool to achieve our global objective of health and wellness for all in 2030, but there is a need for strong and committed leadership and we must radically change the way we approach health care delivery.