Medical Education in the Digital Age - Benefits and Risks

The prophylactic and curative programs aim to use digital literacy as a tool to promote health education and to increase the accessibility and quality of health services. What is called "e-health" has become an important component of connecting health systems around the world. Variables such as cost, time, availability can be improved through the mechanism of digitization. Despite the benefits, there are a number of barriers, among which we mention the lack of digital literacy, reduced access to devices, user reluctance, and the danger of accessing scientifically unvalidated databases. Also an important risk factor is the vulnerability per se of these types of systems, which contain sensitive data about large categories of individuals. Apart from the risks and imperfections of actual digital health networks, the overall benefits of digital health networks cannot be minimized. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the literacy level of the population, in line with the current policies to be implemented by 2030. The aim of the study is to raise awareness among policy-makers and patients about the need for digital literacy. Through the current research we conducted an analysis of a total of 182 studies that we have identified in the PubMed database for the period 2005-2024. Data processing was performed using Microsoft Excel.The findings of the study point to the need for digital literacy of the population with the amendment to correct issues such as misinterpretation of data, misuse of databases or misuse of devices.