Title: Implementation of eHealth applications by primary care physicians in the European Union member states

Authors: Eva Ardielli

Addresses: Department of Public Economics, Faculty of Economics, VSB–Technical University of Ostrava, Sokolská 33, Ostrava 702 00, Czech Republic

Abstract: eHealth is referred to as the use of information and communication technologies in healthcare, covering products, services, processes and organisational changes in healthcare systems. It is practised and dealt with in most developed countries and of course also in the European Union member states. By adopting and deploying eHealth, European Union member states endeavour to reduce health care costs, to increase the efficiency of healthcare and to give more control to patients. Special importance is given to the primary care and the development of the implementation of eHealth by general practitioners. The article is focused on the evaluation of the implementation of eHealth by primary care physicians in the European Union member states by the usage of multi-criteria decision-making methods. The analysis is performed by the usage of TOPSIS method and supplemented by cluster analysis. The results of the empirical research are evaluating the state of eHealth implementation by general practitioners in all European Union member states by selected criteria and enable the comparison of eHealth implementation in the international context and the assessment of eHealth development during the period 2013-2018.

Keywords: eHealth; European Union; EU member states; evaluation; MCDM; TOPSIS.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEH.2021.117829

International Journal of Electronic Healthcare, 2021 Vol.11 No.4, pp.378 - 398

Accepted: 25 Feb 2021
Published online: 27 Sep 2021 *

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