THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE MANAGEMENT: A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF CLINICAL APPLICATIONS, REGULATORY EVOLUTION, AND GLOBAL HEALTH EQUITY: A NARRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Introduction: Digital technologies are fundamentally transforming infectious disease management across the continuum of care. Accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, tools such as artificial intelligence (AI), digital biomarkers, telemedicine, and digital adherence technologies (DATs) are reshaping how infections are diagnosed, treated, and monitored. However, realizing their full potential requires addressing challenges related to cybersecurity, regulatory harmonization, and global health equity. Methods: A comprehensive analysis was conducted by reviewing current literature and evidence on digital health applications in infectious disease management from databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar. The review encompassed AI-driven diagnostics and drug discovery, wearable-based digital biomarkers, telemedicine platforms, DATs for tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), evolving FDA/EMA regulatory frameworks, cybersecurity threats, and barriers to equitable implementation in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The search span takes around 3 months to study and identify the research gap across the present literature. Results: AI-enhanced diagnostics demonstrated high accuracy in pathogen detection, including pneumonia identification via convolutional neural networks and accelerated tuberculosis screening. Generative AI frameworks expedited drug discovery through optimized Design-Make-Test cycles. Wearable devices detected pre-symptomatic viral infections using physiological parameters. Telemedicine consultations showed equivalence to in-person care, reducing mortality, hospital stays, and patient transfers. DATs improved TB treatment success (smartphone apps: OR 2.17; video-observed therapy: OR 4.69 for treatment completion). However, escalating ransomware attacks threaten patient safety, IoT device vulnerabilities persist, and significant digital divides remain with 0% versus 82% 5G coverage between low- and high-income countries. Conclusion: Digital medicine offers transformative potential for infectious disease management through personalized, timely interventions. Realizing equitable benefits requires sustained investment in cybersecurity infrastructure, harmonized regulatory frameworks, and deliberate strategies to bridge the digital divide, ensuring inclusive access across diverse populations globally.