Do We Need to Go Digital?

Abstract Do we need to go digital? opens the book’s exploration of digital transformation in health and social care by presenting the strongest versions of both supportive and opposing perspectives. It outlines key concerns held by professionals and service users, including worries that digital technologies may weaken human connection, compromise equity of access, undermine data privacy, introduce reliability risks, and erode professional expertise. Each concern is examined, in turn, acknowledging its validity and the tensions it creates for health and care practice. The chapter then introduces potential approaches to resolution, emphasising thoughtful and inclusive implementation strategies that safeguard trust, preserve quality, and maintain the importance of professional judgement. Through a case example of a general practitioner navigating telehealth adoption, it illustrates how technology can be integrated in ways that support rather than replace compassionate and relational care. In doing so, the chapter highlights that digital transformation should be guided by people-centred values, ensuring technology enhances—rather than diminishes—the fundamental human elements of health and care.