eHealth
eHealth or telehealth is no longer science fiction. In various medical disciplines, eHealth is already being applied and physicians and nurses are supported by it.
The Ministry of Public Health states that eHealth is made possible by audio-visual communication technology bridging the gap between patient and physician or nurse. eHealth can help with diagnoses, consultations and even emergency operations.
In the future rural areas may benefit from better medical services than before by the introduction of eHealth. In Germany as well as in other parts of the world there is a growing interest in connecting hospitals and other professional medical institutions. Links with the physicians active in a region have already been made. This means that patients can now get advice regardless of the person or the Institute. In this age of a greying population and rising health care costs that is a blessing.
Examples
In the examples below you can see how eHealth is already applied:
- Sending medical pictures from one health centre to the other.
- Home-monitoring a patient in his own environment, e.g. diabetics or elderly people.
- Tele-consult, collecting knowledge and experience from a specialist in e.g. tele-radiology.
- Tele-diagnosis, getting a diagnosis from a doctor who is physically somewhere else, e.g. tele-cardiology.
- Tele-monitoring, watching an out-patient long distance.
- Health care long distance, monitoring patient data, e.g. diabetics.
- Tele-education, distance learning for doctors and nursing staff.
New markets
eHealth has connected the medical world and the electronics industry. The numerous challenges not only require innovative technological solutions but also fast translations of research results into practical applications. This creates new markets for the electronics industry. The very complex electronic systems imply high requirements in the field of quality, standards and data security. Naturally, employees in the electronics industry need to be very highly qualified and certified. Courses aimed at them will have to be adjusted with the new world of eHealth in mind. After all, electronic equipment in healthcare will keep being made by well-trained human professionals.