e-Health Technology: Concepts, Strategy, Exchange & Security

E-health evolved out of a need for improved documentation and tracking of patients’ health and procedures performed on patients, particularly for reimbursement purposes, such as byinsurancecompanies. Traditionally, health care providers kept paper records on the history and status of their patients. However, rising health care costs and technological advances encouraged the development of electronic tracking systems. As e-health technologies continued to be developed, the field oftelemedicine, in which telecommunication technologies are used to provide health care remotely, emerged.

E-health makes use of a wide array of digital technologies. TheInternet, for example, allows e-health users to communicate with health care professionals bye-mail, to access medical records, to research health information, and to engage in person-to-person exchange of text, audio, video, and other data.Interactive TV, also known as polycom, provides both audio and visual transfer of a variety of information between two or more individuals at two or more locations in real time.Kiosks, which are freestanding devices (usually computers), are used in e-health to provide interactive information to the user. Most information is provided through a series of interactive prompts on a touch screen. Kiosks can also be used to collect data and information from users.DVDs, USBflash drives, and other media are used to store data digitally. Many modern mobile devices are designed with personal computing and Internet capabilities and are compatible with downloadable applications (or apps) that allow users to instantly access health information. Many of the technologies employed in e-health are accessible to all users, including those with impairments such asblindnessordeafness. More books from the Author(s) are: "Current Trends in Health Information Management" and "Health Informatics: An Interdisciplinary Approach in Health Care Management". Dr. Raphael Akangbe (DBA, Ph.D) & Hosna Salmani