Health Delivery Systems

A health delivery system (HDS) is like a machine that consists of a series of gears that – driven by general interest – contribute to the cohesion, social justice, and sustainable development of a community. Each one, with its own frame and its own history, needs to improve health, equity, responsiveness, and respect for human beings' dignity. The COVID-19 pandemic that started in 2020 reinforced the importance of health delivery systems. A digital system can help to integrate the HDS with a standardization of information, computer-assisted diagnosis, and treatment monitoring; and apps, blogs, and social media can help individuals to take control of their own health by self-quantification and self-narration. Health delivery systems are facing the challenge of supporting both short- and long-term illness where the experience is not only biomedical but also social and cultural.