De Leon, Xynique L.

BSN 2A
Topic 9
Informatics and the Healthcare Industry

Define concepts of eHealth, telehealth, and mHealth

eHealth is an emerging field of medical informatics, referring to the organization
and delivery of health services and information using the Web and related technologies.
In a broader sense, the term characterizes not only technical development, but also a
new way of working, an attitude, and a commitment for networked, global thinking to
improve healthcare locally, regionally, and worldwide by using information and
communication technology. eHealth represents optimism, allowing patients and
professionals to do what was previously impossible (Eysenbach, 2001; Oh, Rizo, Enkin,
& Jadad, 2005; Pagliari et al., 2005).
The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) uses the terms
telemedicine and telehealth interchangeably. “Telemedicine is the use of
information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to
improve patients’ health status. Closely associated with telemedicine is the term
telehealth, which is often used to encompass a broader definition of remote healthcare
that does not always involve clinical services” (ATA, 2010).
Telehealth can be considered another component of the eHealth concept, with
the difference being around the delivery mechanisms, which can include live video
conferencing; store-and-forward systems, such as those used to store digital images;
telephone conferencing; and remote patient monitoring and e-visits via a secure Web
Portal. Teleconferencing and digital networking systems are now merging, giving rise to
“group consultation” opportunities (Doty, 2008; Waegemann, 2010).
Another component of eHealth is mobile-health (mHealth), which can be
considered a delivery mechanism for eHealth. mHealth typically refers to the use of a
wireless communication device that supports public health and clinical practices (Eytan,
2010; TBHome, 2010). mHealth is seen as a valuable tool as the digitization of health
and wellness data increases. It is postulated that many tools will be required, as no
single tool will serve all needs for all people. As a result, there is a need to stop
focusing on the technological components separately and work toward aggregating
these communication technologies in an integrated system. Once this is accomplished,
an ecosystem for integrated broad-scale deployment of eHealth tools can be achieved
(Eytan, 2010; TBHome, 2010).

Explore applications of eHealth for healthcare, education,and research

Telehealth has both clinical and non-clinical uses. Nonclinical applications include
professional education; healthcare administrative duties; research; and the aggregation
of health data, excluding patient-specific medical treatments and decisions. Clinical uses
include medical decisions involving patient care, diagnostics, and treatments. However,
these two categories are somewhat blurred, as patients and providers exchange e-mail
communications that are being stored in the patient’s computerized record (Bauer,
2009). Clinical applications for telemedicine can be provided at the point of service or at
another location (e.g., in the home for patients who may be home-bound, who reside in
rural communities, or who are living in correctional facilities). Telehealth applications
can be specialized, such as with telepathology, telepsychology, or remote patient
monitoring services for ICUs in acute care facilities. Telehealth is forging new
relationships between patients and all types of practitioners; it is moving care out the
physician-centric perspective into the twenty-first century model of healthcare that will
see more consumer empowerment

Examine evidence on the impact of eHealth in health promotion and health

maintenance
Web-based educational programs are changing the way consumers and
healthcare providers learn. These programs continue to proliferate, providing the
opportunity for interactive learning and simulations with the ability to have multi-user
discussions and presentations in a collaborative learning environment. Faced with
limited funds, nursing schools now have the ability to form partnerships and share their
resources via the virtual classroom. The Web allows nurses and students the ability to
access the most up-to-date research and knowledge facilitating evidence-based
practice. Technological innovations, such as video streaming and virtual reality 3D
displays, are providing more sophisticated formats in which to deliver educational
materials. Web-based educational programs can reach remote students who otherwise
would be unable to attend class (Brantley, Laney-Cummings, & Spivack, 2004; Sakraida
& Draus, 2003; Simpson, 2003; Smith-Stoner & Willer, 2003).
The role of the nurse as a patient and consumer educator in the digital age is
evolving as well. Online educational materials can be tailored to an individual’s literacy
level and presented in a bilingual format (Lewis, 2003). The advent of Massively Open
Online Courses (popularly known as MOOCs) provides accessible and free learning
across the globe. Major universities are considering offering credit for these courses
(Skiba, 2013). Remote interactive telehealth networks have been shown to be effective
in providing pre-operative patient education to rural locations and are increasingly being
used for disease management (Roupe, 2004; Thomas, Burton, Withrow, & Adkisson,
2004).

Mr Barra - Reporter Questions

1. Give at least 2 benefits of mHealth in our society.

- 1. Apps that Improve Wellness

While health apps became one of the most popular app niches and the available
technologies are allowing developers to build mHealth apps with exceptional
ease, the real question that is haunting the healthcare digital strategists is
whether these apps are going to be highly useful and effective in improving the
wellness and patient care for people.

Unlike other app categories and niches, mHealth apps play a critical role in the
betterment of healthcare and delivering practical benefits to prevent, cure and
 manage diseases. Here through the rest of this blog post, we are going to
explain the key reasons mHealth apps can be beneficial for the future of
healthcare as a whole.

- 2. Easy Health Tracking Via Health Apps

Getting real-time health information of the patients that doctors always find beneficial
to track the progress of diseases and also to track the effects of the treatment on the
patient. In this respect, health tracking apps can really play a vital role. As per a recent
survey by the World Health Organisation (WHO) around 93% of medical facilities
consider these apps to play a crucial role in the betterment of healthcare. FDA already
has an established practice to provide vital health data to patients and doctors alike and
so FDA encourages mHealth apps monitoring patient health.

Even health tracking apps can be of various types with different types of tracking
purposes and features. For example, most of the weight loss and fitness apps now
come with an array of tracking features including the capability to monitor heartbeat
and pulse rate. In the years to come, we can expect more health monitoring and
tracking features to be available through these apps.

2. What are the uses of Telehealth on non-cliinical aspects?

- Telehealth not only provides professional development opportunities, sharing of
ideas and networking, it also enables health practitioners to competently deliver
health services via telehealth technology.
- Telehealth connects patients to vital health care services through
videoconferencing, remote monitoring, electronic consults and wireless
communications. By increasing access to physicians and specialists, telehealth
helps ensure patients receive the right care, at the right place, at the right time.
3. Aside from google Health, What other example of web-based health resources?
Describe.
- Engaging Health Content | Rush Medical
- does a great job providing their audience with engaging health-related content.
With an easy to navigate site, Rush makes use of well-written articles on
subjects ranging from health conditions, to organizational news and articles, to
health-oriented events and classes, and highlights of their social media posts.

4. Discuss Telenursing.
- Telenursing refers to the use of information technology in the provision of
nursing services whenever physical distance exists between patient and nurse, or
between any number of nurses.

Mr Marasigan - Reporter Questions

1. What are the 3 Consumer health applications? Explain.
- Self-Management Systems. This includes systems that are highly varied and
include different combinations of functionality utilizing multiple platforms. The
most effective systems provide a timely response to information about the
current or evolving status of the user. Some of them allow for monitoringand
transmission of information, such as blood pressure or blood glucose.
Depending on system design, feedback to a patient regarding his/her health
status can be received from the system directly or from the provider who
receives information from the system.
- Electronic Personal Health Records and Patient Portals. Electronic
personal health records (PHRs) are defined as "an electronic record of
health-related information on an individual that conforms to nationally
recognized interoperability standards and that can be drawn from multiple
sources while being managed, shared, and controlled by the individual." [5] An
electronic PHR can exist as a stand-alone application that allows information to
be exported to or imported from other sources or applications or as a "tethered"
 application that is linked to a specific health care organization's information
system. Tethered PHRs, also referred to as patient portals, typically allow
patients to view, but not modify, data from the provider's electronic health
record (EHR). Relevant information that is often retained in a PHR include
personal identifiers, contact information, health provider information, problem
list, medication history, allergies, immunizations, lab and test results, and other
relevant medical history. [6] Some applications also allow patients to
communicate electronically with their providers.
- Peer Interaction Systems. Peer interaction can take the form of stand-alone
applications or can sometimes be a part of multicomponent applications. These
applications can increase the perceived peer support and improve personal and
social outcomes. [7] Through online forums, discussion groups, and other peer
communication features, patients can interact electronically with others who
have similar conditions

2. What are the challenges and issues of eHealth?

They include value-issues that go to the very nature of healthcare itself, to the nature of
the healthcare provider-patient relationship, to the role and responsibilities of the
informatics professional, and they include such issues as informed consent, privacy and
liability.