Digital Transformation in the Healthcare Sector: The Role of Artificial Intelligence for Inclusive Long-Term Care Around the World, Lessons for Africa

Future predictions indicate that the digital revolution of health services will continue to have a big impact. In the twenty-first century and the wake of the COVID crisis, it is crucial to evaluate the effects of such digital health services. Just like other services, long-term care will become more crucial for those who are 80 years old and older, as well as for older women who live longer, as the elderly population rises in tandem with their longevity. Additionally, because of longer life expectancies and an increase in the number of elderly people, the prevalence of mental health issues like dementia and Alzheimer’s continues to rise, adding to the increase in demand for long-term care. In addition, when the virus hit, it disrupted the healthcare systems of several nations. In contrast, digital transformation is rapidly gaining ground in several sectors, including healthcare. Therefore, the goal of this study was to examine how the digital transformation of the healthcare industry application of artificial intelligence and machine learning has affected long-term care and how the African continent can benefit. The results of the systematic literature review technique showed that, in the post-pandemic environment, digital transformation is advantageous for the provision of long-term care because telemedicine programs can facilitate the provision of care at home. When there is a digital transformation, among other key components that can help with long-term care, issues like elder abuse and age discrimination in access to long-term services may be recorded. Therefore, it can assist long-term patient care programs around the world more, and greater focus should be given to the digital transformation of the healthcare industry.