Title: E-health in the new millennium: a research and practice agenda

Authors: Kostas Metaxiotis, Dimitrios Ptochos, John Psarras

Addresses: National Technical University of Athens, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Decision Support Systems Laboratory, 9, Iroon Polytechniou str., Zografou 15773, Athens, Greece. ' National Technical University of Athens, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Decision Support Systems Laboratory, 9, Iroon Polytechniou str., Zografou 15773, Athens, Greece. ' National Technical University of Athens, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Decision Support Systems Laboratory, 9, Iroon Polytechniou str., Zografou 15773, Athens, Greece

Abstract: Advances in telecommunications, automated processes, web technologies and wireless computing are already forcing dramatic changes in a variety of sectors, ranging from business and industry to education and health. Yet, the electronic business space, in a broader sense, is still in a relatively early state of evolution, and it is only recently that policy makers have started looking at the potential of applying the tools and techniques of e-commerce to the tasks of other sectors. The use of the internet as a source of health information and connectivity between healthcare providers and consumers has increased interest in e-health. E-health offers the rich potential of supplementing traditional delivery of services and channels of communication in ways that extend the healthcare organisation|s ability to meet the needs of its patients. To date, some e-health applications have improved the quality of healthcare, and later they will lead to substantial cost savings. However, e-health is not simply a technology but a complex technological and relational process. In this sense, practitioners and researchers who want to successfully exploit e-health need to pay attention to various pending issues that have to be addressed. The aim of this paper is to propose a novel taxonomy for e-health research in the new millennium by instantaneously presenting the current status with some major themes of e-health research.

Keywords: e-health; internet; information technology; electronic healthcare; e-healthcare.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEH.2004.005865

International Journal of Electronic Healthcare, 2004 Vol.1 No.2, pp.165 - 175

Published online: 23 Dec 2004 *

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