Doctor visits and hospital stays are often characterized by inefficient processes, for patients and doctors as well as for hospitals and insurance companies. Enabled by new technologies, many of these processes can be digitized and thus made more efficient, accurate, and sustainable. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of how e-health services can contribute to greater sustainability through information and communications technology, both for the environment and for society, as well as to identify areas where e-health applications can still be optimized or where new problems arise.
Digitization in healthcare continues to permeate all areas. For a long time now, it has not just been about pure telemetry, i.e. electronic communication between the involved parties, but also innovative systems such as the use of machine learning to detect irregularities in X-ray images (Kassania et al., 2021). This is also reflected in the increasing interest of companies and investors in the field of e-health. The amount of annual global investment in the digital health industry has increased from one billion US dollars in 2010 to 21.6 billion in 2020 (StartUp Health, 2021). This was also driven by the huge increase of 55% from 2019 to 2020, due to a very strong interest in e-health solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic (StartUp Health, 2021).
E-health solutions offer many advantages for patients, doctors, health insurers, and hospitals. Processes become more efficient through digital communication, patients can receive remote diagnoses via video chat and have digital patient records, and doctors are supported in diagnoses and freed from bureaucratic tasks and can devote more time to their patients. However, due to the continued importance of the healthcare system to society and its long-term planning, consideration must also be given to how e-health can be made as sustainable as possible.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- 1 Introduction
- 2 E-Health
- 2.1 Opportunities and Challenges
- 2.2 Required ICT Components
- 3 Sustainable E-Health
- 3.1 How E-Health contributes to Sustainability
- 3.2 How to make E-Health more sustainable
- 4 Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of how e-health services can contribute to greater sustainability through information and communications technology, both for the environment and for society. It also identifies areas where e-health applications can be optimized or where new problems arise.- The advantages of e-health solutions for patients, doctors, health insurers, and hospitals.
- The different types of e-health and their respective applications.
- The opportunities and challenges of e-health in terms of sustainability.
- The key components of ICT required for sustainable e-health solutions.
- The potential of e-health to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare systems.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Chapter 1: Introduction This chapter discusses the increasing digitization of healthcare and the growing interest in e-health solutions. It highlights the benefits of e-health for patients, doctors, and the overall healthcare system, emphasizing the need for sustainability considerations in this field.
- Chapter 2: E-Health This chapter defines the term "e-health" and explores different perspectives on its applications. It identifies three key domains of e-health: Health in Our Hands, Interacting for Health, and Data Enabling Health. The chapter also discusses the opportunities and challenges associated with e-health, outlining how it can benefit various stakeholders in the healthcare system.
- Chapter 3: Sustainable E-Health This chapter examines the role of e-health in promoting sustainability. It explores how e-health solutions can contribute to environmental sustainability and social well-being. The chapter also discusses ways to enhance the sustainability of e-health by addressing challenges such as data privacy, ethical considerations, and the need for user-friendly interfaces.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
E-health, sustainability, digital health, information and communications technology (ICT), healthcare efficiency, patient empowerment, environmental sustainability, social well-being, telemedicine, mobile health (m-health), data privacy, ethical considerations, user-friendly interfaces, data analytics.Frequently Asked Questions
How does e-health contribute to environmental sustainability?
E-health reduces the need for physical travel through telemedicine and minimizes paper waste through digital patient records.
What are the three key domains of e-health?
The domains are "Health in Our Hands" (personal devices), "Interacting for Health" (telemedicine), and "Data Enabling Health" (analytics and infrastructure).
What role did COVID-19 play in the digital health industry?
The pandemic led to a 55% increase in investments in 2020 due to the urgent need for remote healthcare solutions.
What are the challenges for sustainable e-health?
Key challenges include data privacy, ethical considerations, and ensuring that interfaces are user-friendly for all patients.
How does machine learning help in healthcare?
Machine learning can be used to detect irregularities in X-ray images, making diagnoses more accurate and efficient.
- Citar trabajo
- Jan Harder (Autor), 2021, Sustainability in e-Health. Overview and emerging challenges, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1160779
