eHealth and the future: promise or peril?

doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7529.1391

BMJ 2005;331:1391-1393 (10 December), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7529.1391

Clinical review

ABC of health informatics

eHealth and the future: promise or peril?

Jeremy C Wyatt, professor of health informatics, Frank Sullivan, NHS Tayside professor of research and development in general practice and primary care

University of Dundee.

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Introduction

Despite the futuristic sound of the scenario in the box below,all the technologies mentioned are available, and some, suchas computer interviewing, have been used since the 1960s.

Such a scenario raises questions about the nature of clinicalpractice and healthcare systems—for example, how muchinformation and responsibility should be transferredto patients when technology allows it. This final article examinessome of these issues, and ends the series where it started,with a reminder that health informatics is moreabout understanding people and new models of care than it isabout technology.

Factors encouraging eHealth

Gustafson and Wyatt define eHealth as "patients and the publicusing the internet or other electronic media to disseminateor provide access to health and lifestyle information or services."This differs from telemedicine, in which thereis a health professional at one or both ends of the communication.

Pressures towards . . . [Full text of this article]

How will eHealth develop?

Personal agents

Will clinicians become telecarers?

Concerns about eHealth

Summary

An eHealth nightmare

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