Telehealth Ecosystems in Practice


Book Description

Telemedicine is a term which covers all remotely-provided health services. It removes the obstacle of distance and can equalize access to care by means of technology. Telemedicine assumed increased importance during the time of pandemic restrictions, but despite increased interest, progress has been slowed by factors such as cost, lack of privacy legislation, the reluctance of elderly patients to use ICT, and a lack of qualified actors. It remains, however, one of the best solutions to the problems of different levels of healthcare provision and health outcomes across regions. This book presents the proceedings of STC2023, a Special Topic Conference (STC) organized by the European Federation for Medical Informatics (EFMI), and held from 25 - 27 October 2023 in Turin, Italy. These conferences promote research and development in a specific field of biomedical and health informatics, and the theme of the 2023 STC was Telehealth Ecosystems in Practice. A total of 112 submissions were received for the conference. Of these, the number of papers selected after a thorough review process was 51 full papers (acceptance 59%) and 26 posters, all of which are included in these proceedings. Topics covered include homecare and telemonitoring; televisits; teleradiology; telerehabilitation; data integration and standards; embedded decision support systems; sensors, devices and patient-reported outcomes; healthbots and conversational agents; and AI applications to telehealth. Covering a wide range of topics and methods in telemedicine and biomedical informatics, the book will be of interest to all those involved in the planning and provision of healthcare.







Current Principles and Practices of Telemedicine and E-health


Book Description

This book represents the most current development on the expanding and changing field of telemedicine and e-health, especially in the developing countries. Many things have changed since the publication of the first book in 2004 (Establishing Telemedicine in Developing Countries: From Inception to Implementation). Telemedicine has become more popular, and still continues to grow. While there are many good books and materials on telemedicine, this publication can be seen at the work of reference for all of those who want to practice telemedicine and e-health, particularly in developing countries. This publication deals with ways to establish telemedicine and e-health system, not only in the developing countries, but also in the developed world. Hopefully, this book will be a guide that reflects the status of telemedicine at the given time. It is dedicated to all future generations of telemedicine and e-health students which include healthcare practitioners, administrators, policy makers, technical professionals and others.




The Role of Telehealth in an Evolving Health Care Environment


Book Description

In 1996, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released its report Telemedicine: A Guide to Assessing Telecommunications for Health Care. In that report, the IOM Committee on Evaluating Clinical Applications of Telemedicine found telemedicine is similar in most respects to other technologies for which better evidence of effectiveness is also being demanded. Telemedicine, however, has some special characteristics-shared with information technologies generally-that warrant particular notice from evaluators and decision makers. Since that time, attention to telehealth has continued to grow in both the public and private sectors. Peer-reviewed journals and professional societies are devoted to telehealth, the federal government provides grant funding to promote the use of telehealth, and the private technology industry continues to develop new applications for telehealth. However, barriers remain to the use of telehealth modalities, including issues related to reimbursement, licensure, workforce, and costs. Also, some areas of telehealth have developed a stronger evidence base than others. The Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) sponsored the IOM in holding a workshop in Washington, DC, on August 8-9 2012, to examine how the use of telehealth technology can fit into the U.S. health care system. HRSA asked the IOM to focus on the potential for telehealth to serve geographically isolated individuals and extend the reach of scarce resources while also emphasizing the quality and value in the delivery of health care services. This workshop summary discusses the evolution of telehealth since 1996, including the increasing role of the private sector, policies that have promoted or delayed the use of telehealth, and consumer acceptance of telehealth. The Role of Telehealth in an Evolving Health Care Environment: Workshop Summary discusses the current evidence base for telehealth, including available data and gaps in data; discuss how technological developments, including mobile telehealth, electronic intensive care units, remote monitoring, social networking, and wearable devices, in conjunction with the push for electronic health records, is changing the delivery of health care in rural and urban environments. This report also summarizes actions that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) can undertake to further the use of telehealth to improve health care outcomes while controlling costs in the current health care environment.




mHealth Ecosystems and Social Networks in Healthcare


Book Description

This book provides a principled approach to classification using the available data in a model which combines information from the social network and the healthcare models. It presents studies from leading researchers and practitioners focusing on the current challenges, directions, trends and opportunities associated with healthcare delivery systems and their supporting wireless and mobile health technologies. mHealth Ecosystems and Social Networks in Healthcare is divided into two parts. Part I covers the area of mHealth Ecosystems. Chapters include topics on adoption of cloud based mHealth services, the socio-economic impact of mHealth, as well as self-management of health and disease. In Part II, Social Networks in Healthcare are highlighted. Chapters cover social media and patient support, virtual knowledge sharing and knowledge management and also web-based applications in health care. Ultimately this book is an excellent source of comprehensive knowledge and literature on the topics of mobile health ecosystems and social networks in healthcare.




Roadmap to Successful Digital Health Ecosystems


Book Description

Roadmap to Successful Digital Health Ecosystems: A Global Perspective presents evidence-based solutions found on adopting open platforms, standard information models, technology neutral data repositories, and computable clinical data and knowledge (ontologies, terminologies, content models, process models, and guidelines), resulting in improved patient, organizational, and global health outcomes. The book helps engaging countries and stakeholders take action and commit to a digital health strategy, create a global environment and processes that will facilitate and induce collaboration, develop processes for monitoring and evaluating national digital health strategies, and enable learnings to be shared in support of WHO’s global strategy for digital health. The book explains different perspectives and local environments for digital health implementation, including data/information and technology governance, secondary data use, need for effective data interpretation, costly adverse events, models of care, HR management, workforce planning, system connectivity, data sharing and linking, small and big data, change management, and future vision. All proposed solutions are based on real-world scientific, social, and political evidence. Provides a roadmap, based on examples already in place, to develop and implement digital health systems on a large-scale that are easily reproducible in different environments Addresses World Health Organization (WHO)-identified research gaps associated with the feasibility and effectiveness of various digital health interventions Helps readers improve future decision-making within a digital environment by detailing insights into the complexities of the health system Presents evidence from real-world case studies from multiple countries to discuss new skills that suit new paradigms




The Role of Digital Health Policy and Leadership


Book Description

Digital health technologies could change the trajectory of current healthcare systems and make them more proactive. Advanced predictive technologies have now become available which make this more possible than ever before, but it will not happen without improved policies, regulations, and governance of our systems. Health informatics must operate at the macro level if it is to provide policymakers and other stakeholders with the information they need to better allocate resources and intervene more effectively. This book presents the proceedings of FHLIP, the Future of Health Leadership, Informatics, and Policy Conference, held on 22 February 2024 in Toronto, Canada. The conference aimed to catalyze the development of proactive, innovative digital-health solutions capable of addressing the ever-evolving challenges faced by the healthcare sector, and lay the groundwork for a more resilient, patient-centered healthcare ecosystem. It provided a platform for stakeholders to identify challenges, question assumptions, and better understand the roles of policymakers and vendors. The conference received a total of 26 submissions, of which 19 were selected for presentation at the conference and publication here after a thorough review process. Topics covered included interoperability and governance, regulation of electronic medical records, addressing the needs of vulnerable populations, scaling up use of artificial intelligence and the design of health system level architectures for large scale interventions. The book looks forward to a future where digital health makes contributions beyond the provider and patient level and will be of great interest to not only those working in the field of health informatics and digital health, but also to digital leaders and policy makers interested in taking their healthcare systems From Reactive to Proactive.




MEDINFO 2023 — The Future Is Accessible


Book Description

Science-fiction author William Gibson is famously quoted as saying, “The future is already here – it's just not very evenly distributed.” During the Covid pandemic, telehealth and remote monitoring were elevated from interesting innovations to essential tools in many healthcare systems, but not all countries had the infrastructure necessary to pivot quickly, amply demonstrating the negative consequences of the digital divide. This book presents the proceedings of MedInfo 2023, the 19th World Congress on Medical and Health Informatics, held from 8 – 12 July 2023 in Sydney, Australia. This series of biennial conferences provides a platform for the discussion of applied approaches to data, information, knowledge, and wisdom in health and wellness. The theme and title of MedInfo 2023 was The Future is Accessible, but the digital divide is a major concern for health and care-informatics professionals, whether because of global economic disparities, digital literacy gaps, or limited access to reliable information about health. A total of 935 submissions were received for the conference, of which 228 full papers, 43 student papers and 117 posters were accepted following a thorough peer-review process involving 279 reviewers. Topics covered include: information and knowledge management; quality, safety and outcomes; health data science; human, organizational and social aspects; and global health informatics. Significant advances in artificial intelligence, machine learning, augmented reality, virtual reality, and genomics hold great hope for future healthcare planning, delivery, management, education, evaluation, and research, and this book will be of interest to all those working to not only exploit the benefits of these technologies, but also to identify ways to overcome their associated challenges.




Health Technology Literacy: A Transdisciplinary Framework for Consumer-Oriented Practice


Book Description

Health Technology Literacy: A Transdisciplinary Framework for Consumer-Oriented Practice examines the wide range of resources used by health consumers to inform and support their decisions around their own health care. Today’s health consumer is self-monitoring, building supportive social networks online or via cell phone, and engaging in treatment using interactive programs online, on CD or related media. Using evidence-based practice and relevant theories, this unique text analyzes the trend for health care systems to be reactive, while consumers are proactively seeking the health care information they feel they deserve.




Telehealth


Book Description