Considering the trade-offs of environmental, social, and governance risk in digital health
10 affiliations
- 1Dubai Health Innovations, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- 2French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) U987, Boulogne-Billancourt, France; Paris Cité University, Paris, France
- 3Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School and UMass Memorial Health, Worcester, MA, United States
- 4Interdisciplinary Arts and Design Department, Rochester Institute of Technology, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- 5Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- 6Centre for Healthcare Innovation, Singapore, Singapore
- 7School of Design, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- 8Design School, Taylor's University, Subang Jaya, Malaysia
- 9Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- 100Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Institute for Digital Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
Abstract
IntroductionDigital health innovations are increasingly recognized as cost-efficient and scalable solutions to improve healthcare delivery and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, limited research has examined these technologies within broader socio-economic and sustainability contexts, particularly regarding Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) risks and potential trade-offs.MethodsThis narrative review integrates digital health within an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) framework. Literature on digital health, sustainability, and ESG-relevant risk was identified through searches of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, supplemented by reference-list screening and purposive inclusion of policy and institutional reports; searches were last updated in May 2026. Eligible sources addressed digital health technologies and engaged with at least one ESG domain. Sources were synthesised thematically across the environmental, social, and governance domains, and a conceptual framework was developed to support evaluation of ESG-related trade-offs in digital health implementation.ResultsThe review highlights that digital health solutions, while offering significant benefits in accessibility and efficiency, may exacerbate health inequalities, increase environmental burdens through energy consumption and carbon emissions, and raise governance concerns related to ethics, data privacy, and regulation. The findings emphasize the interdependence of ESG factors and demonstrate that isolated evaluation of these dimensions can lead to incomplete or misleading conclusions. A preliminary framework is proposed to guide the systematic assessment of ESG trade-offs in digital health interventions.DiscussionIntegrating ESG considerations into digital health innovation is essential to ensure sustainable and equitable healthcare outcomes. The proposed framework provides a foundation for evaluating the broader impacts of digital health technologies, though further research is needed to develop standardized metrics and a comprehensive ESG taxonomy. Incorporating ESG principles into policy and implementation strategies will enhance the long-term effectiveness and societal value of digital health solutions.
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BibTeX
@article{hadjiat2026considering,
title = {{Considering the trade-offs of environmental, social, and governance risk in digital health}},
author = {Yacine Hadjiat and Yacine Hadjiat and David D. McManus and Carlos Montana and Yih Yng Ng and Yih Yng Ng and Leo A. Rezayan and Leo A. Rezayan and Lisa Scharoun and Yoan Sebastien Sapanel and Anna Berbenyuk},
journal = {Frontiers in Digital Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fdgth.2026.1947743},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2026.1947743},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Considering the trade-offs of environmental, social, and governance risk in digital health
AU - Yacine Hadjiat
AU - Yacine Hadjiat
AU - David D. McManus
AU - Carlos Montana
AU - Yih Yng Ng
AU - Yih Yng Ng
AU - Leo A. Rezayan
AU - Leo A. Rezayan
AU - Lisa Scharoun
AU - Yoan Sebastien Sapanel
AU - Anna Berbenyuk
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/28
JO - Frontiers in Digital Health
DO - 10.3389/fdgth.2026.1947743
UR - https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2026.1947743
AB - IntroductionDigital health innovations are increasingly recognized as cost-efficient and scalable solutions to improve healthcare delivery and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, limited research has examined these technologies within broader socio-economic and sustainability contexts, particularly regarding Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) risks and potential trade-offs.MethodsThis narrative review integrates digital health within an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) framework. Literature on digital health, sustainability, and ESG-relevant risk was identified through searches of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, supplemented by reference-list screening and purposive inclusion of policy and institutional reports; searches were last updated in May 2026. Eligible sources addressed digital health technologies and engaged with at least one ESG domain. Sources were synthesised thematically across the environmental, social, and governance domains, and a conceptual framework was developed to support evaluation of ESG-related trade-offs in digital health implementation.ResultsThe review highlights that digital health solutions, while offering significant benefits in accessibility and efficiency, may exacerbate health inequalities, increase environmental burdens through energy consumption and carbon emissions, and raise governance concerns related to ethics, data privacy, and regulation. The findings emphasize the interdependence of ESG factors and demonstrate that isolated evaluation of these dimensions can lead to incomplete or misleading conclusions. A preliminary framework is proposed to guide the systematic assessment of ESG trade-offs in digital health interventions.DiscussionIntegrating ESG considerations into digital health innovation is essential to ensure sustainable and equitable healthcare outcomes. The proposed framework provides a foundation for evaluating the broader impacts of digital health technologies, though further research is needed to develop standardized metrics and a comprehensive ESG taxonomy. Incorporating ESG principles into policy and implementation strategies will enhance the long-term effectiveness and societal value of digital health solutions.
SN - 2673-253X
ER -