3G Medicine - The integration of technologies

Abstract

Maturing telemedicine technologies, struggling mobile networking revenues and increased personal healthcare awareness have provided the foundations for a new market niche that of '3G Medicine'. During the last 5 years telemedicine (based on internet and web technologies) is becoming a reality both in terms of developing technologies and supportive legislation. Within Europe wireless infrastructures (3G Networking) has received a huge investment and although not well defined in how it will be achieved healthcare has been identified as a major stream of revenue with personal healthcare (e.g. EHCR on the handset) being a key issue especially for the handset manufactures. Combined with an increased awareness not only for outpatients but also for the "well-worried" (healthy and health conscious) 3G Medicine Services will play an important role in personal healthcare management. This paper presents a categorization of 3G Medicine services and the need to integrate technologies. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2002.