Medical and Biomedical Students’ Perspective on Digital Health and Its Integration in Medical Curricula: Recent and Future Views

Srijit Das, Nazik Ahmed, Issa Al Rahbi, Yamamh Al-Jubori, Rawan Al Busaidi, Aya Al Harbi, Mohammed Al Tobi and Halima Albalushi ()
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Srijit Das: Department of Human and Clinical Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat 123, Oman
Nazik Ahmed: College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat 123, Oman
Issa Al Rahbi: College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat 123, Oman
Yamamh Al-Jubori: College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat 123, Oman
Rawan Al Busaidi: College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat 123, Oman
Aya Al Harbi: College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat 123, Oman
Mohammed Al Tobi: College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat 123, Oman
Halima Albalushi: Department of Human and Clinical Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat 123, Oman

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 8, 1-13

Abstract: The incorporation of digital health into the medical curricula is becoming more important to better prepare doctors in the future. Digital health comprises a wide range of tools such as electronic health records, health information technology, telemedicine, telehealth, mobile health applications, wearable devices, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality. The present study aimed to explore the medical and biomedical students’ perspectives on the integration of digital health in medical curricula. A cross-sectional study was conducted on the medical and biomedical undergraduate students at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The response rate was 37%. The majority of respondents were in the MD (Doctor of Medicine) program (84.4%), while 29 students (15.6%) were from the BMS (Biomedical Sciences) program. A total of 55.38% agreed that they were familiar with the term ‘e-Health’. Additionally, 143 individuals (76.88%) reported being aware of the definition of e-Health. Specifically, 69 individuals (37.10%) utilize e-Health technologies every other week, 20 individuals (10.75%) reported using them daily, while 44 individuals (23.66%) indicated that they never used such technologies. Despite having several benefits, challenges exist in integrating digital health into the medical curriculum. There is a need to overcome the lack of infrastructure, existing educational materials, and digital health topics. In conclusion, embedding digital health into medical curricula is certainly beneficial for creating a digitally competent healthcare workforce that could help in better data storage, help in diagnosis, aid in patient consultation from a distance, and advise on medications, thereby leading to improved patient care which is a key public health priority.

Keywords: digital health; e-Health; students; medical; biomedical; curricula (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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