Table 1.

Examples of possible communication channels, their potential applications, and some of the patient adoption considerations. Any of such lists should be dynamically updated to match the evolving changes in the individual’s digital presence and preferences.

Patient/caregiver interface	Examples of potential applications	Patient adoption considerations
		Preintervention	Intervention and postintervention
In-person visit	Consultation with a physician, a rehabilitation session in a center, monitoring and drug titration with specialized nurses	Synchronous communication, requires initiative and time on the patient’s part	Active communication channel
Email	Email consultations, communication of test results, e-referral	Asynchronous communication, both convenient and nondisruptive in the day-to-day lives of patients	Passive communication channel
Video consultation	Teleconsultation, e-prescription, e-referral	Synchronous communication, initial adoption can be affected by ease of use and perceived usefulness [21]	Active communication channel can be used to replace in-person visits for higher engagement but patient satisfaction is essential for continued usage [22]. Common issues include problems with internet connectivity and accessibility [23].
Mobile apps	Wellness apps, screening and monitoring solutions, or digital therapeutic interventions, with virtual reality–based therapy, personalized nudges, and real-world evidence collection	Initial adoption can be affected by ease of usage and user interface. Involvement of health care providers and public health authorities can benefit adoption [24].	Ease of use in long term enables disease monitoring and symptom tracking. Usage can be sustained through generating electronic satisfaction [25].
Digital social environment	Social media and metaverse that can be used for educating, supporting, and influencing behavior change as well as individualized lifestyle improvement	Adoption might be affected by digital divide and privacy concerns.	Enables patients’ engagement with the ability to share, comment on, and react but also social norms intervention, especially for the young adults [26]
Web-based platforms	Web-based learning/educational platforms such as internet-based diabetes management platform or digital patient-reported outcome measure and electronic patient-reported outcome platforms	Adoption determinants include reliability of provider, level of awareness toward web-based platform, and accessibility [27].	Enables self-management. Continued engagement relies on confirmation of user’s initial expectations and perceived usefulness [28].
Messaging solutions	SMS-based communication, chatbot, virtual health assistant, messaging apps for just-in-time interventions, triaging	Familiar platform and increased ease of usage to encourage adoption. Limited with regards to nature and amount of information shared. Narrative persuasion through first-person point of view can impact persuasion of health messages [29].	Enables reminders for chronic disease management. Limited in terms of clinical data sharing—quality of responsiveness and variability can help improve conversation quality [30].
Safe messaging apps	Direct messaging to health care providers, appointment booking, patient reminders, data sharing between health care providers, and patient data storage	Adoption is influenced by convenience and the integration of safe messaging apps to electronic health record systems [31]	Continued usage relies on patient’s preference for enhanced security features and ease of use [32]
Voice-based assistant	Smart home and mobile-based digital assistant that enable proactive reminders, remote care access, and the ability to capture patients’ responses to artificial intelligence–powered voice biomarkers could also be used to screen for and diagnose a wide range of diseases as well as triaging.	The relative simplicity lowers traditional technological barriers and provides the benefits of hands-free and eyes-free engagement mode. The disadvantages are that some patients may have difficulty in formulating a structured sentence for a command as well as may have privacy concerns associated with having a voice assistant “always-on” [33].	Potential for passive symptom tracking and just-in-time interventions
Wearables and sensors	Global positioning system tracking devices, Bluetooth beacon technology, body vitals sensors	Initial adoption can be affected by novelty of wearable technology—for example, design aesthetic is a prominent factor when influencing behavioral intention [34]	Enables passive symptom tracking and generates long-term data for feedback and analysis. Continued perceived usefulness and positive attitude need to be maintained [34].