Digital Health and The Ontological Transformation of Care: Toward a Digital Humanism Framework for Health Management

The expansion of digital health technologies represents a profound ontological shift, redefining the human being as a data-driven entity. This conceptual paper critically examines how the digital health paradigm reshapes the ontological structure of humanity and transforms the ethical foundations of care. Drawing on Walker and Avant’s concept analysis framework and critical social theory, the paper develops an interdisciplinary interpretation of digital transformation in healthcare systems. Using Walker and Avant’s concept analysis framework and critical-conceptual analysis, a structured literature review covering the period from 2014 to 2026 was conducted. The findings indicate that digital health reconstructs the human being from a “meaning-producing subject” into a measurable and governable digital object. This transformation contributes to ontological alienation, the expansion of digital biopower, and the internalization of surveillance through self-tracking practices. Care, traditionally grounded in relational encounters, is increasingly mechanized and reduced to data-driven processes. Algorithmic systems emerge as new authorities, challenging human judgment and professional autonomy. Consequently, digital transformation should not be understood merely as a technological advancement but as a civilizational shift that risks eroding human dignity and ethical responsibility. In response, this study proposes Digital Humanism as a normative framework for re-centering healthcare on human values, ensuring that technology functions as an enabling infrastructure rather than a determinant of human existence.