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The path towards eHealth: obstacles along the way.
1Centre for Global eHealth Innovation and Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. ajadad@ehealthinnovation.org
Yearbook of Medical Informatics
|October 20, 2006
Summary
Effective use of electronic health (eHealth) technologies faces significant, non-technological obstacles. Overcoming these requires a shift towards collaboration and generosity in healthcare.
Area of Science:
- Health Informatics
- Digital Health
- Healthcare Technology
Background:
- eHealth (electronic information and communication technologies for health) holds transformative potential for healthcare systems.
- Despite its promise, the full potential of eHealth has not been realized due to various challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and discuss unanticipated obstacles hindering the effective implementation and utilization of eHealth.
- To explore potential solutions and shifts in perspective needed to overcome these barriers.
Main Methods:
- Reflective analysis of the gap between eHealth's potential and its actual impact.
- Identification and categorization of key obstacles based on author expertise and observation.
Main Results:
- Seven key obstacles identified: insufficient health focus in eHealth, lack of reflection time, fortress mentality, poor evaluation, lack of youth involvement, inequity, and parochialism.
- These impediments are multifaceted, encompassing cognitive, financial, and political dimensions, not solely technological.
Conclusions:
- The identified obstacles to eHealth are surmountable.
- Addressing these requires a fundamental shift from competition to generosity, commitment, and collaboration.
- Enlightened self-interest, prioritizing collective benefit, is crucial for successful eHealth integration.
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