Electronic Health Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Electronic Health - Research Paper Example E-Health provides services which let the doctors have an access to their patients’ data by maintaining their records and information about their diseases in databases and other e-Health tools, rather than using paper documents. They can assess the data, prepare prescriptions to be sent to the pharmacies via communication technology, get instant and accurate results from the laboratories directly, communicate with their patients on a regular basis no matter which part of the globe they live in, and give better suggestions regarding their health and lifestyle. On the other hand, the patients, here referred to as ePatients, can have access to doctors all around the world with the use of information and communication technology, telemedicine and e-Health systems, get diagnosis (known as remote diagnosis) and treatment regarding their diseases, and thus, remain better informed about their problems in particular and health care in general. There are a lot of e-Health forums, softwar e and web links on the internet which allow e-patients to communicate with their doctors and with other fellow patients as well. ... It has created a trustworthy doctor-patient relationship as e-Health systems ensure the patients’ privacy. It has also made it possible to achieve online education about healthcare through online sources. It provides tools, known as e-Health tools which facilitate health services like diagnosis and treatment. These include electronic databases, mobile monitors, health portals, and many more. E-Health is also cost-effective as money is not spent on staffing and traveling resources. The European Union (EU) is the leader in the development of e-Health systems and tools. According to a rough estimate, EU has spent almost â‚ ¬500 million of research funding on e-Health since 1990 (Europa). Unfortunately, there are a lot of people out there who do not have access to computer and internet, or they have less knowledge about technological advances, and thus they cannot benefit from the services of e-Health, despite the fact that such people are the most deserving of getting proper h ealthcare. In short, E-Health not only acts as a platform where the health care providers, authorities and hospitals can work closer to each other, but also acts as a medium between the doctors and patients- a medium that is just in accordance with the latest technology and the modern era. E-Health is not merely a big step in the new technology, it is also â€Å"a state-of-mind, a way of thinking, an attitude, and a commitment for networked, global thinking, to improve health care locally, regionally, and worldwide by using information and communication technology† (Eysenbach). Table 1 summarizes the advantages of e-Health described so far. Why the issue is important to me? The issue of e-Health is important to me because it can