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Home telehealth--current state and future trends
1Centre for eHealth, Uppsala University, Uppsala University Hospital 82/1, S-751 85 Uppsala, Sweden. sabine.koch@ehealth.uu.se
International Journal of Medical Informatics
|November 22, 2005
Summary
This review of home telehealth research highlights a growing trend in patient-focused tools. Further research is needed to explore impacts, especially for elderly and disabled users, and to address implementation challenges like standards and evaluation frameworks.
Area of Science:
- Health Informatics
- Telemedicine
- Digital Health
Background:
- Home telehealth research has expanded internationally.
- The period reviewed (1990-2003) shows early trends in digital health adoption.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art in international home telehealth research.
- To identify key research areas, geographical distribution, and emerging trends.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of scientific literature from 1990-2003.
- Analysis of 578 publication abstracts retrieved via Medline.
- Categorization of research by topic, application domain, and geographical origin.
Main Results:
- The United States leads in publications (44%), followed by the UK and Japan.
- Vital sign parameter (VSP) measurement and virtual visits are dominant research areas.
- Research on IT tools for information access, communication, and decision support is less common.
- Primary clinical applications include chronic diseases, elderly care, and pediatrics.
Conclusions:
- A global trend towards patient- and citizen-centric telehealth tools is evident.
- Further investigation is required into the impact on patient-provider relationships and the design for specific user groups (elderly, disabled).
- A scarcity of evaluation studies necessitates further research to address barriers like lack of standards, evaluation frameworks, and implementation guidelines.