e-health within the contemporary healthcare setting

Integration of e-health within the contemporary healthcare setting
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Introduction
The current COVID-19 pandemic exposed the inability of many healthcare settings to offer consistent services to their patients. The pandemic-related restrictions in traveling inhibited the chronically sick and the elderly’s ability to access the needed medicine for their conditions (Gunasekeran et al., 2021). Health experts explained that COVID-19 infections were highly fatal among these people groups. As such, health care settings need to invest in healthcare delivery strategies that consider pandemic or epidemic risks. Patients who require regular medical care need to continue receiving treatment without exposing themselves to pandemic dangers (Monaghesh & Hajizadeh, 2020). As evident with the current pandemic, epidemics and natural disasters pose numerous challenges to the healthcare system. Due to this, healthcare managers should integrate innovative digital solutions to address patients’ critical needs who are exposed to different risks (Gunasekeran et al., 2021). This paper suggests that integration of e-health within contemporary healthcare settings will ensure consistent and continuous care is available to all patients at all times.
E-health, its history, and integration into the healthcare system
Healthcare is the latest sector to experience a digital revolution. Many hospitals and care services centers are investing in digital health (e-health) ideas to improve the care delivery processes’ efficiency (Perera, 2012). According to Gunasekeran et al. (2021), e-health refers to the use of information and communication technologies in the healthcare sector to improve management efficiency and optimize diagnosis to achieve positive patient care outcomes. E-health encompasses innovations in doctor-patient communication, research, hospital management, and patient data analytics and information sharing areas.  Similarly, Monaghesh and Hajizadeh (2020) described e-health as using emerging interactive technologies such as the internet, voice response systems, digital assistants, and mobile computing to improve healthcare service quality. Golinelli et al. (2020) indicated that e-health programs were offering improved reach to deserving populations are affordable costs within the shortest time possible. These technologies were enabling healthcare systems to respond efficiently to community needs. The technologies also facilitated health promotion and interventions tailored and customized for individual patients (Gunasekeran et al., 2021). Also, e-health integration would help address access limitations, health and technology literacy, and quality issues.
Harnessing electronic communication technology’s power to address various health promotion and patient care delivery issues could be traced back to the early 2000s (Perera, 2012). Since then, there have been several innovations maximizing the potential of e-health. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation launched the Health e-Technologies Initiative that expanded the knowledge body on cost efficiency, efficacy, and value of e-health applications in managing chronic diseases and health behavior change (Perera, 2012). In the last decade, smartphones emerged as the main drivers of the e-health transition. Technological advancements resulted in specialized applications intended to manage different health indicators such as heart rates, pulse rates, and blood pressure. The main advantage of these technical applications lies in their versatility. For instance, telehealth supports the delivery of healthcare to people in remote areas in a time-efficient manner. Wearable technologies such as smartwatches and glasses help monitor and gather data on the patient’s health and physical condition (Monaghesh & Hajizadeh, 2020). Health professionals use augmented reality for 3D visualization of organs and checking the patient’s health records in real-time. Further, e-health records enable patient information stored in one place and safe sharing and access of the same story.
Additionally, innovators developed devices with smartphone interfaces such as ultrasound monitors and blood sugar level measuring instruments. Smartphone Apps can turn smartphones into personal trainers, diagnostic devices, or sleep monitors (Gunasekeran et al., 2021). Whereas smartphone technology shows promise in the advancement of e-health technologies, studies urged caution as there was insufficient evidence supporting some applications’ efficacy and utility. Golinelli et al. (2020) suggested that new technologies must pass a rigorous scientific testing process before deployment. Nevertheless, e-health devices, systems, and mobile applications have shown the capacity to address healthcare needs during disasters and epidemics.
The benefits of e-health to healthcare settings
Digital health (e-health) enables the application of digital tools, channels, and applications in inpatient care delivery, leading to multiple benefits. E-health improves patient monitoring. Gunasekeran et al. (2021) indicated that doctor-patient communication is more accessible over digital channels, thus bridging the doctor-patient gap. The technology also allows doctors to monitor and record patient’s progress in real-time. E-health technologies result in more informed patients. Hence, patients make better health decisions and have a greater capacity to manage their health. Patients can easily access health guidelines and best practices during epidemics guiding them in their behavior. E-health technologies encourage healthier lifestyles as smartphone apps allow users to monitor what they eat, their exercise regime, and their sleep quality (Gunasekeran et al., 2021). E-health also enables doctors and nurses to make decisions faster and easier. For instance, clinicians can determine optimal treatments and diagnose illnesses at an early stage.
E-health enhances accessibility and equality in healthcare. The technological applications eliminated geographical and time limitations associated with care access. As a result, healthcare can reach more people, especially those initially at risk of elimination (Monaghesh & Hajizadeh, 2020). E-health results in more efficient hospitals and health clinics. With a streamlined health system, e-health minimizes human error chances and reduces costs. It also enables for automation of the healthcare systems. Golinelli et al. (2020) showed that remote care reduced resources in health centers and enhanced care access. Remote care also minimizes the risks of transmitting diseases from one patient to another, especially during an epidemic.
Conclusion
This paper explored how digital health (e-health) helps provide consistent and continuous care during epidemics and disasters. The article revealed several forms of e-health applications and devices that support the provision of remote care during outbreaks. These technologies were time and cost-efficient and offered high quality of healthcare. They also helped to protect the patients from the enhanced health risks associated with epidemics.
 
References
Golinelli, D., Boetto, E., Carullo, G., Nuzzolese, A. G., Landini, M. P., & Fantini, M. P. (2020). Adoption of digital technologies in health care during the COVID-19 pandemic: Systematic review of early scientific literature (Preprint). https://doi.org/10.2196/preprints.22280
Gunasekeran, D. V., Tham, Y., Ting, D. S., Tan, G. S., & Wong, T. Y. (2021). Digital health during COVID-19: Lessons from operationalising new models of care in ophthalmology. The Lancet Digital Health, 3(2), e124-e134. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2589-7500(20)30287-9
Monaghesh, E., & Hajizadeh, A. (2020). The role of telehealth during COVID-19 outbreak: A systematic review based on current evidence.
Perera, C. (2012). The evolution of e-Health – Mobile technology and mHealth. Journal of Mobile Technology in Medicine, 1(1), 1-2. https://doi.org/10.7309/jmtm.1
 

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