Last update:
05-Jul-2026

Modern health systems face numerous challenges that threaten their long-term sustainability. The recent pandemic, which shook health systems, societies and economies is a typical example, highlighting the importance of adopting digitally innovative solutions to create resilient, adaptive, flexible and crisis-ready health systems. These solutions also help mitigate a few obstacles, such as technological challenges, inadequate infrastructure, resistance to change, legal barriers and economic factors. The adoption of digital innovations in the healthcare sector can have multiple social, economic and environmental benefits for both health systems and patients. Through innovation, it is possible to achieve economies of scale in service costs, improve efficiency and quality through more personalized services, and thus contribute to the sustainability of health systems. Telemedicine is an innovative digital service that has proven useful for healthcare delivery and has the capacity to reduce geographical inequalities and improve accessibility. However, innovation alone does not solve pre-existing issues of inequality in the health sector; in fact, it may exacerbate them. Despite its advantages, the digital switchover is widening the digital divide, excluding many socially vulnerable groups. Achieving social justice in health requires targeted policies, such as the promotion of digital and health literacy, increased public funding and a robust reimbursement framework for corresponding digital services. The successful integration of innovation requires strategies that balance cost, sustainability and equity. Telemedicine can act as a catalyst for systemic change when accompanied by policies that strengthen availability, efficiency, and equitable access, thereby contributing to social justice.

Key words: Health policies, Health systems, Inequalities, Innovations, Sustainability, Telemedicine.