EHealth

eHealth describes healthcare services which are supported by digital processes, communication or technology such as electronic prescribing, Telehealth, or Electronic Health Records (EHRs). The term "eHealth" originated in the 1990s, initially conceived as "Internet medicine," but has since evolved to have a broader range of technologies and innovations aimed at enhancing healthcare delivery and accessibility. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), eHealth encompasses not only internet-based healthcare services but also modern advancements such as artificial intelligence, mHealth (mobile health), and telehealth, which collectively aim to improve accessibility and efficiency in healthcare delivery. Usage of the term varies widely. A study in 2005 found 51 unique definitions of eHealth, reflecting its diverse applications and interpretations. While some argue that it is interchangeable with health informatics as a broad term covering electronic/digital processes in health, others use it in the narrower sense of healthcare practice specifically facilitated by the Internet. It also includes health applications and links on mobile phones, referred to as mHealth or m-Health. Key components of eHealth include electronic health records (EHRs), telemedicine, health information exchange, mobile health applications, wearable devices, and online health information. For example, diabetes monitoring apps allow patients to track health metrics in real time, bridging the gap between home and clinical care. These technologies enable healthcare providers, patients, and other stakeholders to access, manage, and exchange health information more effectively, leading to improved communication, decision-making, and overall healthcare outcomes.

The term can encompass a range of services or systems that are at the edge of medicine/healthcare and information technology, including:

Several authors have noted the variable usage in the term; from being specific to the use of the Internet in healthcare to being generally around any use of computers in healthcare. Various authors have considered the evolution of the term and its usage and how this maps to changes in health informatics and healthcare generally. The name eHealth has to some extent been superseded by the use of Digital health, which covers technology in healthcare more generally, but which is also seen as covering Internet related technologies. Various authors have considered the evolution of the term and its usage and how this maps to changes in health informatics and healthcare generally. Oh et al., in a 2005 systematic review of the term's usage, offered the definition of eHealth as a set of technological themes in health today, more specifically based on commerce, activities, stakeholders, outcomes, locations, or perspectives. One thing that all sources seem to agree on is that e-health initiatives do not originate with the patient, though the patient may be a member of a patient organization that seeks to do this, as in the e-Patient movement.

eHealth literacy is defined as "the ability to seek, find, understand and appraise health information from electronic sources and apply the knowledge gained to addressing or solving a health problem." This concept encompasses six types of literacy: traditional (literacy and numeracy), information, media, health, computer, and scientific. Of these, media and computer literacies are unique to the Internet context. eHealth media literacy includes awareness of media bias, the ability to discern both explicit and implicit meanings from media messages, and the capability to derive accurate information from digital content.

While eHealth literacy involves the ability to use technology, it is extremely important to have the skills to critically evaluate online health information. This makes media literacy a critical part of successfully using eHealth. Having the composite skills of eHealth literacy allows health consumers to achieve positive outcomes from using the Internet for health purposes. eHealth literacy has the potential to both protect consumers from harm and empower them to fully participate in informed health-related decision making. People with high levels of eHealth literacy are also more aware of the risk of encountering unreliable information on the Internet On the other hand, the extension of digital resources to the health domain in the form of eHealth literacy can also create new gaps between health consumers. eHealth literacy hinges not on the mere access to technology, but rather on the skill to apply the accessed knowledge. The efficiency of eHealth also heavily relies on the efficiency and ease of use regarding technology being used by the patient.

The population of elderly people surpassed the number of children for the first time in history in 2018. A more multi-faceted approach is necessary for this age group, because they are more susceptible to chronic disease, contraindications of medication, and other age-related setbacks like forgetfulness. Ehealth offers services that can be very helpful for all of these scenarios, making an elderly patient's quality of life substantially better with proper use.

One of the factors hindering the widespread acceptance of e-health tools is the concern about privacy, particularly regarding EPRs (Electronic patient record). This main concern has to do with the confidentiality of the data, as well as non-confidential data that may be vulnerable to unauthorized access. Each medical practice has its own jargon and diagnostic tools, so to standardize the exchange of information, various coding schemes may be used in combination with international medical standards. Systems that deal with these transfers are often referred to as Health Information Exchange (HIE). Of the forms of e-health already mentioned, there are roughly two types; front-end data exchange and back-end exchange.

Front-end exchange typically involves the patient, while back-end exchange does not. A common example of a rather simple front-end exchange is a patient sending a photo taken by mobile phone of a healing wound and sending it via email to the family doctor for control. Such an action may avoid the cost of an expensive visit to the hospital.