eHealth: The Mainstay of Healthcare Delivery in the 21st Century

Abstract

The demand and cost of healthcare are on the rise, but it is still important to optimize the care of all patients, while containing the cost of healthcare. There is an increasing need to develop systems that deliver good-quality health care and are cost-effective, especially in developing countries. Due to technological advancements, new healthcare delivery models are being developed to improve healthcare accessibility, especially to distant areas and for emergencies. One of these models of healthcare delivery is eHealth. There is a wide variability in the scope and focus of eHealth. eHealth is an umbrella term that includes telemedicine, mHealth, telecare, ePublic health, eMental health or telehealth. Artificial satellites, internet, mobile communication and cloud communication are some of the several ways that have been identified to be used for providing eHealth services, all with their benefits and applications. The use of eHealth in the delivery of healthcare has a wide range of identified benefits for the service users (clients and patients) and service providers (health professionals). Various barriers to healthcare delivery are set to be broken by the optimal utilization of eHealth. In spite of all these benefits, eHealth is not without its potential risks and challenges. To improve the viability of eHealth in the market and increase its use globally, authors therefore recommend that the risks have to be minimized and barriers lifted.