round the world, public health systems are reaching a breaking point strained by staffing shortages, inequitable access, rising costs, and eroding trust. In traditional health institutions, trust is declining—particularly among younger generations who turn to social media over medical professionals for advice, impacting health outcomes. A recent Edelman study found that 38% of Gen Z patients have ignored provider advice in favor of information from social platforms. Meanwhile, digital innovations are rapidly changing the outlook on the future of wellbeing.
Health data is at our fingertips and AI can spot and diagnose disease symptoms seemingly before they appear. From AI–driven diagnostics and mental health chatbots to wearables that monitor stress and detect disease, we are witnessing the rise of tools that put prevention and personalization at the center of care. While these innovations offer the potential to democratize wellbeing, helping individuals gain more control, reducing reliance on overburdened systems, and expanding access to underserved populations, health providers will need to prioritize rebuilding relationships coupled with technological advancements, as wellbeing does not start with technology, it starts with trust.
While health innovations look promising, this fragmentation of trust—coupled with the spread of misinformation and a rise of self–diagnosing—puts the future of wellbeing at risk.
These solutions must focus on empowering the individual and not passive care. With the current system afflicted by distrust, digital innovations for enhanced wellbeing should include proactive prevention, community–driven telehealth platforms, inclusive language resources and culturally competent care.
Health providers and innovators must remember access to technology is not access to care. Technology cannot replace the human connection that is foundational to healing, and when algorithms prioritize engagement over accuracy, vulnerable populations like elderly or rural communities, are left even more exposed.
To truly leverage digital innovation for good, we must embed equity, ethics, and empathy into the foundation of every tool we build. Inclusive design, clear information standards, and partnerships between tech, health systems, and communities are essential. We must view digital health not as a substitute, but as an augmentation, empowering humans, not replacing them.
In this digital future, wellbeing will be redefined—but only if we act with intention. The tools are here. The question is: will we use them to build systems that are not just smarter, but also more just, more accessible, and more human?
a global affairs media network
In digital age, wellbeing starts with trust
Image via Adobe Stock.
June 16, 2025
Public health systems around the world are in peril, in no small part due to declining trust in medical professionals. Rebuilding that trust requires intentional leveraging of digital innovation for good, writes Lindse Murphy.
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round the world, public health systems are reaching a breaking point strained by staffing shortages, inequitable access, rising costs, and eroding trust. In traditional health institutions, trust is declining—particularly among younger generations who turn to social media over medical professionals for advice, impacting health outcomes. A recent Edelman study found that 38% of Gen Z patients have ignored provider advice in favor of information from social platforms. Meanwhile, digital innovations are rapidly changing the outlook on the future of wellbeing.
Health data is at our fingertips and AI can spot and diagnose disease symptoms seemingly before they appear. From AI–driven diagnostics and mental health chatbots to wearables that monitor stress and detect disease, we are witnessing the rise of tools that put prevention and personalization at the center of care. While these innovations offer the potential to democratize wellbeing, helping individuals gain more control, reducing reliance on overburdened systems, and expanding access to underserved populations, health providers will need to prioritize rebuilding relationships coupled with technological advancements, as wellbeing does not start with technology, it starts with trust.
While health innovations look promising, this fragmentation of trust—coupled with the spread of misinformation and a rise of self–diagnosing—puts the future of wellbeing at risk.
These solutions must focus on empowering the individual and not passive care. With the current system afflicted by distrust, digital innovations for enhanced wellbeing should include proactive prevention, community–driven telehealth platforms, inclusive language resources and culturally competent care.
Health providers and innovators must remember access to technology is not access to care. Technology cannot replace the human connection that is foundational to healing, and when algorithms prioritize engagement over accuracy, vulnerable populations like elderly or rural communities, are left even more exposed.
To truly leverage digital innovation for good, we must embed equity, ethics, and empathy into the foundation of every tool we build. Inclusive design, clear information standards, and partnerships between tech, health systems, and communities are essential. We must view digital health not as a substitute, but as an augmentation, empowering humans, not replacing them.
In this digital future, wellbeing will be redefined—but only if we act with intention. The tools are here. The question is: will we use them to build systems that are not just smarter, but also more just, more accessible, and more human?
