--- title: "Beyond Telehealth: The Future of Health Is Digital | Sutter Health" description: "Telehealth is just the beginning. Sutter Health's digital experience chief explains how digital health reshapes care beyond video visits and hospital walls." url: "https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/research-innovation/beyond-telehealth-the-future-of-health-is-digital" --- 1. [Home](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/) / 2. [Research & innovation](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/research-innovation) / 3. Beyond Telehealth The Future Of Health Is Digital # Beyond Telehealth: The Future of Health Is Digital Telehealth is just the beginning. Sutter Health's digital experience chief explains how digital health reshapes care beyond video visits and hospital walls. September 20, 2021 by Sutter Health ![Beyond Telehealth: The Future of Health Is Digital](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/Vitals/research-and-innovation/telehealth-2021-41e16582.jpg?h=1414&iar=0&w=2121 "Beyond Telehealth: The Future of Health Is Digital") “Telehealth” is a term that can mean many things to different people. By default, some may immediately think of video visits, given how they exploded onto the scene amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But telehealth—and perhaps more aptly described as “digital health”— has implications [far beyond what we have seen before](https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/how-digital-health-can-help-refugees-access-medical-care). While traditional care models have returned at some levels, hospitals and healthcare systems continue to explore ways that integrate digital health into the everyday needs of their patients, as well as [underserved populations](https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hblog20210908.121951/full/). > “Digital care transcends walls, which is part of the beauty and the value,” said Albert Chan, M.D., chief of digital patient experience at Sutter Health, a not-for-profit healthcare system in Northern California that has taken a [360-degree view of digital health .](https://keepingourcareconnected.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Sutter-Digital-Health-Fact-Sheet-FINAL-ADA.pdf) “It’s really about creating an enhanced care experience — for the patient and the provider — where the settings are limitless.” During [Telehealth Awareness Week](https://telehealthawareness.americantelemed.org/resources), we’re featuring [innovative ways](https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/Vitals/research-and-innovation/Sutter-Digital-Health-Fact-Sheet-FINAL-ADA-9539fdbd.pdf) safe and convenient care is being provided to everyone when and where they need it. ## Topics [Technology and Health](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/search?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_healthTopics.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Technology+and+Health%22%5D%7D%5D&verticalKey=articles) ## Related articles ### [A Workplace Built on Purpose and Possibility](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/our-people/a-workplace-built-on-purpose-and-possibility) ### [When Communities Lead Healthcare](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/community-impact/when-communities-lead-healthcare) ### [Sutter Health Collaborates with OpenEvidence to Bring Evidence-Based, AI-Powered Insights into Physician Workflows](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/media-resources/press-releases/sutter-health-collaborates-with-openevidence-to-bring-evidence-based-ai-powered-insights-into) ### [Sutter Recognized for Using Technology to Improve Care](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/media-resources/press-releases/sutter-recognized-for-using-technology-to-improve-care) [See all from Research & innovation](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/research-innovation) ## Check your Vitals Get the latest in health innovation, community impact and patient care from Sutter Health — delivered straight to your inbox. [Subscribe to Vitals](https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/subscribe) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"WebPage","name":"Beyond Telehealth: The Future of Health Is Digital","description":"Telehealth is just the beginning. Sutter Health's digital experience chief explains how digital health reshapes care beyond video visits and hospital walls.","url":"https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/research-innovation/beyond-telehealth-the-future-of-health-is-digital","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/research-innovation/beyond-telehealth-the-future-of-health-is-digital#breadcrumblist"}} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/research-innovation/beyond-telehealth-the-future-of-health-is-digital#article","url":"https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/research-innovation/beyond-telehealth-the-future-of-health-is-digital","headline":"Beyond Telehealth: The Future of Health Is Digital","description":"Telehealth is just the beginning. Sutter Health's digital experience chief explains how digital health reshapes care beyond video visits and hospital walls.","articleSection":"Research & innovation","inLanguage":"en-US","datePublished":"2021-09-20T05:11:52-07:00","dateModified":"2026-09-14T13:28:20-07:00","author":[{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Person","name":"Sutter Health"}],"publisher":{"@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org"},"abstract":"Telehealth is just the beginning. Sutter Health's digital experience chief explains how digital health reshapes care beyond video visits and hospital walls.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/Vitals/research-and-innovation/telehealth-2021-41e16582.jpg?h=1414&iar=0&w=2121","width":"2121","height":"1414","caption":"Beyond Telehealth: The Future of Health Is Digital"},"thumbnailUrl":"https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/sutterhealt962c-sutterhealt8fce-production57cc-4860/media/Project/SutterHealth/Vitals/research-and-innovation/telehealth-2021-41e16582.jpg?h=1414&iar=0&w=2121","isPartOf":{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/#website","name":"Vitals - Sutter Health","url":"https://vitals.sutterhealth.org"},"mainEntityOfPage":"https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/research-innovation/beyond-telehealth-the-future-of-health-is-digital","keywords":["Technology and Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/research-innovation/beyond-telehealth-the-future-of-health-is-digital#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Research & innovation","item":"https://vitals.sutterhealth.org/research-innovation"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Beyond Telehealth The Future Of Health Is Digital"}]} ```