Health Economic-Industrial Complex, digital health in Primary Health Care and the risk of vulnerability 4.0

Abstract

We analyze digital health from the perspective of collective health, assuming that technology and connectivity must meet the desires of social control, be at the service of people and improve quality of life. In an approach based on the political economy of health, we discuss the characteristics of the information and connectivity subsystem of the Health Economic-Industrial Complex in the context of Primary Health Care (PHC). We discussed the benefits and risks associated with new digital technologies emerging from the Fourth Technological/Industrial Revolution, which are being integrated into PHC, understood as the communication hub of the Unified Health System (SUS) care network. We highlight the risks of reproducing technological asymmetries, financialization, and economic and social inequalities within the field of digital health. We conclude that, in light of digital transformations, choices may lead to different outcomes, where technology can either become a tool for inclusion or exclusion. It is essential to develop political and institutional strategies that simultaneously foster a local base for innovation and digital health production aimed at meeting the needs of the SUS and universal access, guided by the principles of universality, equity, and comprehensiveness