Information and communication technology in chronic diseases: a patient’s opportunity

Abstract

The increasing aging population, the prevalence of chronic diseases and rising costs have brought about some unique health care challenge to our global society. In response to the unmet health care needs, researchers are actively seeking for innovative solutions that target for (1) prevention of diseases and (2) person-alized diagnosis and treatment. It is envisaged that by taking preventive measures for health monitoring, diagnosing and treating patients with a personalized approach at an early stage of disease development, health care will be more cost effective and sustainable. The authors provide an overview of the advancements in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and explain how some innovative health solutions, through the use of Telemedi-cine, can now be an opportunity for patients and their family. Incidence and prevalence of chronic diseases have increased steadily in recent decades and are continuously growing up. Chronic diseases (such as chronic heart failure, COPD, hypertension, diabetes etc.) are associated with a progressive decrease in quality of life and physical performance ; frequent hospitalizations, long period of sick leave, and high rate of illness associated to disability have significant health and macroeconomic consequences [1]. General practice could provide good quality of care for a range of high-prevalence chronic diseases, at the same time providing continuity of care and management of comor-bidities. Although quality of care for patients with chronic diseases is improving in general practice, about half of patient care does not meet optimal standards. Many factors contribute to the gap between optimal and current practice and are not related completely to financing system, but are also related to availability of other disciplines to participate in care team, to the limited engagement with self-management education, and lack of information and decision support systems. Patients ask to General Practitioner (GP)'s and specialists continuity of care, emotional support , helping them in the navigation in the health care system and providing self-management support. A deep change is present in the GPs' and specialists' behavior because of increase in the number of patients with chronic diseases, different patient's approach to the disease and a big transformation caused by the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) [2]. Aging is a growing issue. Patients with chronic diseases are living longer. ICT and telehealth can help patients to manage their chronic conditions on a day-today basis, but it is still too much of a minority. It is the exception rather than the rule. Independent Living and Active Aging are the principle areas of research to expand personalized services for empowering people, with age-related dependencies, to live independently for longer. The target is to develop novel prototypes of systemic solutions compensating for prevailing age-related physical and cognitive impairments