Digital Epidemiology In Urban Health Monitoring: A Narrative Review Of Smart Technologies And Public Health Integration
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69980/ajpr.v28i5.656Keywords:
Digital epidemiology, urban health, Smart technology, Public health Scenario, Informatic, Real-time surveillance, mHealth, IoTAbstract
Background:
Digital epidemiology that is, the use of data generated by digital devices that has health-related content to infer health-related outcomes is becoming a central strategy for meeting complex urban health challenges. High rates of urbanisation lead to population density, mobility, and environmental pressures that can predispose cities to outbreaks of infectious disease, burdens of chronic illness, and environmental health threats. Smart tools such as mobile health apps, wearables, Internet of Things (IoT)–based sensors, and artificial intelligence (AI)–based analytics allow real-time monitoring and early warning and targeted interventions, offering an unprecedented opportunity to improve public health promotion efforts in urban settings.
Materials and Methods:
For a narrative review in PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science since 2010 up to 2024. It encompassed keywords such as "digital epidemiology," "urban health," "smart technologies," "mHealth," "IoT" and "public health informatics." Studies and reports pertaining to digital urban health monitoring tools and their integration into public health systems were included. We excluded rural health studies, non-digital interventions, and certain reports such as a non-peer-reviewed report.
Results:
The report finds an increasing emphasis on wearable devices to achieve continuous monitoring of biometrics, the use of mobile health apps to engage citizens, AI-driven analytics to drive predictive modelling, combinations of IoT-based environmental sensors to monitor pollution and climate, and the use of GIS mapping for spatio-temporal disease tracking. Many smart city projects have successfully proved the value of integrating with public health systems, enabling faster outbreak detection, better chronic disease management, and enhanced community-based health interventions.
Conclusion:
Smart technologies are increasingly used for urban and health monitoring, and integrating such technologies into public health policies may not only enable accessing many such systems but also facilitate a transition from reactive to proactive urban health monitoring systems. This transition encourages prevention of diseases earlier, an evidence-based approach on policies, along with more durable and healthier urban populations.
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