e-health

eHealth describes healthcare services which are supported by digital processes, communication or technology such as electronic prescribing, Telehealth, or Electronic Health Records (EHRs). The term "eHealth" originated in the 1990s, initially conceived as "Internet medicine," but has since evolved to have a broader range of technologies and innovations aimed at enhancing healthcare delivery and accessibility. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), eHealth encompasses not only internet-based healthcare services but also modern advancements such as artificial intelligence, mHealth (mobile health), and telehealth, which collectively aim to improve accessibility and efficiency in healthcare delivery. Usage of the term varies widely. A study in 2005 found 51 unique definitions of eHealth, reflecting its diverse applications and interpretations. While some argue that it is interchangeable with health informatics as a broad term covering electronic/digital processes in health, others use it in the narrower sense of healthcare practice specifically facilitated by the Internet. It also includes health applications and links on mobile phones, referred to as mHealth or m-Health. Key components of eHealth include electronic health records (EHRs), telemedicine, health information exchange, mobile health applications, wearable devices, and online health information. For example, diabetes monitoring apps allow patients to track health metrics in real time, bridging the gap between home and clinical care. These technologies enable healthcare providers, patients, and other stakeholders to access, manage, and exchange health information more effectively, leading to improved communication, decision-making, and overall healthcare outcomes.

==Types== The term can encompass a range of services or systems that are at the edge of medicine/healthcare and information technology, including: Electronic health record: enabling the communication of patient data between different healthcare professionals (GPs, specialists etc.); Computerized physician order entry: a means of requesting diagnostic tests and treatments electronically and receiving the results ePrescribing: access to prescribing options, printing prescriptions to patients and sometimes electronic transmission of prescriptions from doctors to pharmacists Clinical decision support system: providing information electronically about protocols and standards for healthcare professionals to use in diagnosing and treating patients Automated clinical documentation: tools that generate preliminary drafts of clinical notes from clinician–patient encounters for later review and editing by healthcare professionals; examples include commercial platforms such as Twofold Health, which operate alongside electronic health record systems. Telemedicine: physical and psychological diagnosis and treatments at a distance, including telemonitoring of patients functions and videoconferencing; Telerehabilitation: providing rehabilitation services over a distance through telecommunications. Telesurgery: use robots and wireless communication to perform surgery remotely. Teledentistry: exchange clinical information and images over a distance. Consumer health informatics: use of electronic resources on medical topics by healthy individuals or patients; Health knowledge management: e.g. in an overview of latest medical journals, best practice guidelines or epidemiological tracking (examples include physician resources such as Medscape and MDLinx); Virtual healthcare teams: consisting of healthcare professionals who collaborate and share information on patients through digital equipment (for transmural care) mHealth or m-Health: includes the use of mobile devices in collecting aggregate and patient-level health data, providing healthcare information to practitioners, researchers, and patients, real-time monitoring of patient vitals, and direct provision of care (via mobile telemedicine); Medical research using grids: powerful computing and data management capabilities to handle large amounts of heterogeneous data. Health informatics / healthcare information systems: also often refer to software solutions for appointment scheduling, patient data management, work schedule management and other administrative tasks surrounding health. There can be integrated data collection platforms for devices and standards and require extended research. Internet Based Sources for Public Health Surveillance (Infoveillance).