E-medicine
- E-medicine is defined as the integration of various types of information technology into healthcare delivery (Chen, 2011).
- E-medicine can be used to improve many aspects of health care delivery, from diagnostics and treatment to education (Chen, 2011).
In the recent years, several major laws affecting the practice of public health were enacted, aimed to minimize health disparities by lowering costs and improving the accessibility of health care. In the light of recent reforms of health care aimed at improving the quality and accessibility of health care services, the application of e-medicine can be seen as a viable solution to overcoming current health care issues.
E-medicine is defined as the integration of various types of information technology into healthcare delivery (Chen, 2011). The types of information technology include the Internet, mobile communication networks, personal computers and mobile devices. E-medicine can be used to improve many aspects of health care delivery, from diagnostics and treatment to education (Chen, 2011).
Areas of applications of e-medicine
E-medicine:
- personalized digital health records;
- Tele-consultation;
- medical education.
Primary area of application of e-medicine is health care delivery services. Hospitals can use a network of personal computers to store and maintain electronic patient records to reduce the amount of paperwork (Chen, 2011, p. 2325). Patient records can be accessed anywhere, anytime through the Internet. Another area of application of e-medicine is teleconsultation. E-medicine allows medical personnel to monitor the recovery process after discharge, and can be used for diagnosis and consultation over distance (Bashur, Shannon, Smith & Woodward, 2015). Medical education is another area of application. Surgeons can use electronic devices to show medical students the specifics of their work on-site.
Telehealth
- Telehealth can be defined as the delivery of medical services over distance by means of telecommunications technology (Weinstein et. al., 2014, p. 183).
- Telehealth is an umbrella term which includes telemedicine, or the remote diagnosis and treatment of patients, and a variety of connected services, such as telepharmacy, telenursing and telerehabilitation (Weinstein et. al., 2014, p. 183; Hailey, Roine, Ohinmaa, & Dennett, 2011, p. 281).
Telehealth is the area of e-medicine which can be defined as the delivery of medical services over distance by means of telecommunications technology (Weinstein et. al., 2014, p. 183). Telehealth is an umbrella term which includes telemedicine, or the remote diagnosis and treatment of patients, and a variety of connected services, such as telepharmacy, telenursing and telerehabilitation (Weinstein et. al., 2014, p. 183; Hailey, Roine, Ohinmaa & Dennett, 2011, p. 281). Telehealth is made possible by the advances in the telecommunications technology, mainly the rapid expansion of the Internet and mobile networks.
Telehealth Models and Systems
Telehealth:
- Teleradiology;
- Teledermatology;
- Telepharmacy;
- Telenursing;
- Telerehabilitation;
- Mobile Health.
Several models and systems of telehealth are currently in use. Teleradiology is the most widely used system and it implies transmitting radiological images between different locations (Zanaboni & Wootton, 2012). Teledermatology is another common system which uses telecommunication technologies to diagnose skin conditions (Zanaboni & Wootton, 2012). Telepharmacy implies the delivery of pharmaceutical care over the telecommunication network, and telenursing – the delivery of nursing services, telerehabilitation – rehabilitation services, such as clinical assessment and therapy. Mobile Health is the newest model which implies using mobile devices such as smartphones for healthcare purposes (Weinstein et. al., 2014, p. 183).
Benefits of Telehealth
- Telehealth enables access to health care in rural areas and regions with limited access to medical services;
- The application of the technology will significantly reduce the time of treatment and hospital stay;
- It will improve the quality of care provision while reducing health care costs for the organization;
- A randomised controlled trials which involved over 37,000 patients showed positive effect of telehealth interventions in two-thirds of cases (Zanaboni & Wootton, 2012).
Due to the rapid expansion of the web and improvements in telecommunications technology, medical services can be provided in a more convenient and cost-effective way (Zaidan & Zaidan, 2011, p. 1).
A number of studies and systematic reviews were conducted which proved the efficacy of telehealth. A recent systematic literature review analyzing the efficacy of telemonitoring programs for patients with chronic heart failure showed positive effects of telephone support (Zanaboni & Wootton, 2012).
Scientific evidence shows that telehealth application for diabetes management improves patient outcomes (Bashur, Shannon, Smith, & Woodward, 2015).
Application and Data Trafficking
Telehealth is one of the convenient means of collecting the data and acute patient information while:
- it connects care managers to patients when personal visits are impossible;
- it enables care providers to update the patient information immediately;
- information trafficking is cost-efficient, timely, and available 24/7.
Out of 141 trials which included patients with “asthma, COPD, diabetes, heart failure, hypertension”
108 showed positive effect of telehealth interventions, and only two showed negative effect (Zanaboni & Wootton, 2012).
The introduction of latest technologies into the field of health care will allow health professional reduce the discrepancies which currently exist by improving the accessibility of health care. With telehealth, patients do not need to go to a hospital for a consultation, and they can be easily assisted remotely. Digital patent records and radiological images can easily be accessed anywhere through the Internet. A variety of services, including nursing and pharmaceutical services, can be provisioned remotely, making it easier to access health care.
References
Bashshur, R., Shannon, G., Smith, B., and Woodward, M. (2015). Telemedicine and e-Health, 21(5), 321-354.
Hailey, D., Roine, R., Ohinmaa, A., & Dennett, L. (2011). Evidence of Benefit from Telerehabilitation in Routine Care: a Systematic Review. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 17(6), 281-287.
Weinstein, R., Lopez, A, Joseph, B., Erps, K., Holcomb, M., Barker, G., & Krupinski, E. (2014). Telemedicine, Telehealth, and Mobile Health Applications That Work: Opportunities and Barriers. The American Journal of Medicine, 127, 183-187. Web.
Wu, S., & Chen, K. (2011). An Efficient Key-Management Scheme for Hierarchical Access Control in E-Medicine System. Journal of Medical Systems, 36(4), 2325-2337.
Zaidan, B., & Zaidan, A. (2011). Impact of Data Privacy and Confidentiality on Developing Telemedicine Applications: A Review Participates Opinion and Expert Concerns. International Journal of Pharmacology, 7(1), 1-6. Web.
Zanaboni, P., & Wootton, R. (2012). Adoption of telemedicine: from pilot stage to routine delivery. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 12(1), 1-9. Web.