A new University of Queensland study suggests that digital healthcare’s potential to revolutionise patient outcomes hinges on trust, and addressing that trust deficit could be the key to broader acceptance of telehealth and other emerging tools.
Researchers from UQ’s Centre for Online Health, Dr Soraia de Camargo Catapan and Dr Jaimon Kelly, reviewed 49 studies published over 13 years to uncover the most important factors shaping consumers’ and healthcare professionals’ faith in digital solutions.
The Impact of Trust
Dr Catapan says trust is a fundamental barrier to digital health adoption. “If people don’t trust digital healthcare, they won’t use it,’’ she explains. “Trust is inherently difficult to define and measure but it is key to making digital health tools more effective and widely used. Building trust can help more people use these health technologies in the long run, leading to better outcomes and making digital healthcare more sustainable.’’
Their analysis pinpointed digital literacy, privacy concerns, education levels and prior experiences as critical to whether consumers embrace telehealth, remote monitoring, mobile health apps, and other forms of digital care. In particular, data accuracy, quality of care, and the degree of human interaction within automated systems all played a role in shaping confidence.
Importance for Australia
Dr Kelly highlights that these findings align with the Australian Digital Health Blueprint and Action Plan 2023–2033. “The Australian Digital Health Blueprint and Action Plan 2023-2033 describes the role of digital health capabilities in fortifying the healthcare system, with one of its focal areas being the reinforcement of trust,’’ he says.
He adds that the study shows a direct link between trust and how likely people are to adopt new technologies. “Our review found that trust positively correlates with consumers’ intention to use, adopt, and find digital health technologies useful. This research is an important step toward understanding and measuring trust in digital healthcare. Developing a comprehensive framework for trust, in turn, enhances the adoption of digital health technologies, supports better health outcomes, and strengthens the long-term sustainability of digital healthcare solutions.’’
Global Differences
With 40 per cent of the studies based in China or the United States, cultural and regulatory differences also emerged as major factors. In countries like China, stricter privacy laws might shape digital healthcare in ways that differ considerably from Western settings, indicating that trust-building strategies should be adapted to local contexts.
Published in npj Digital Medicine, the research underscores that trust remains a critical missing link in the global rollout of advanced healthcare tools. According to Dr Catapan and Dr Kelly, tackling trust issues now is essential to ensuring digital healthcare fulfils its promise of efficient, accessible and sustainable care for all.
Ritchelle is a Content Producer for Healthcare Channel, Australia’s premier resource of information for healthcare.
