e-Health

A special issue of Future Internet (ISSN 1999-5903).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2016) | Viewed by 56624

Special Issue Editors

University of British Columbia / The UBC Biomedical Branch Library, Diamond Health Care Centre, Vancouver BC, V5Z 1M9, Canada
Interests: medical and health informatics; eHealth; 3D virtual worlds; web 2.0; e-learning; library and information sciences

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleauges,

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines e-Health as “the transfer of health resources and healthcare by electronic means” (see http://www.who.int/trade/glossary/story021/en/); m-Health (or mobile health) can be seen as a subset of e-Health, concerned with the transfer of resources and services using small-form-factor, Internet-enabled mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. We are living in the age of the Internet of Healthy Things (Kamel Boulos et al., 2015; Kvedar et al., 2016) and the Quantified Self, thanks to the many affordable, wireless health and fitness sensors (some of which are ‘clinical-grade’) that have become ubiquitous on the market today, with many more expected in the near future. Making sense of the Big Data that are collected from these sensors and observing user privacy in a satisfactory manner top the list of challenges that researchers and practitioners are currently facing in this area. Other challenges include consumers’ health and digital literacy, usability and ergonomics of devices and user interfaces/services, users' adherence and compliance, sustainability in non-technical environments, etc.

We welcome original research and methodology manuscripts that present novel uses of the Internet and Web services to deliver health information, for health professionals and lay health consumers, to improve public health services, and to assist in better health and healthcare systems management, as well as studies addressing the challenges that are inherently associated with these tasks. Comprehensive reviews covering literature gaps in these areas are also welcome.

*          Kamel Boulos et al., 2015 http://0-ij--healthgeographics-biomedcentral-com.brum.beds.ac.uk/articles/10.1186/1476-072X-14-3

*          Kvedar et al., 2016 http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01AC5I0T0/

Prof. Dr. Maged N. Kamel Boulos
Prof. Dean M. Giustini
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • e-Health
  • m-Health
  • Telemedicine
  • Telehealthcare
  • Telehealth
  • Self-management
  • Self-care
  • Healthy Living
  • Internet
  • Web services
  • Internet-of-Things

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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Article
ODK Scan: Digitizing Data Collection and Impacting Data Management Processes in Pakistan’s Tuberculosis Control Program
by Syed Mustafa Ali, Rachel Powers, Jeffrey Beorse, Arif Noor, Farah Naureen, Naveed Anjum, Muhammad Ishaq, Javariya Aamir and Richard Anderson
Future Internet 2016, 8(4), 51; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fi8040051 - 24 Oct 2016
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 10928
Abstract
The present grievous tuberculosis situation can be improved by efficient case management and timely follow-up evaluations. With the advent of digital technology, this can be achieved through quick summarization of the patient-centric data. The aim of our study was to assess the effectiveness [...] Read more.
The present grievous tuberculosis situation can be improved by efficient case management and timely follow-up evaluations. With the advent of digital technology, this can be achieved through quick summarization of the patient-centric data. The aim of our study was to assess the effectiveness of the ODK Scan paper-to-digital system during a testing period of three months. A sequential, explanatory mixed-method research approach was employed to elucidate technology use. Training, smartphones, the application and 3G-enabled SIMs were provided to the four field workers. At the beginning, baseline measures of the data management aspects were recorded and compared with endline measures to determine the impact of ODK Scan. Additionally, at the end of the study, users’ feedback was collected regarding app usability, user interface design and workflow changes. A total of 122 patients’ records were retrieved from the server and analysed in terms of quality. It was found that ODK Scan recognized 99.2% of multiple choice fill-in bubble responses and 79.4% of numerical digit responses correctly. However, the overall quality of the digital data was decreased in comparison to manually entered data. Using ODK Scan, a significant time reduction is observed in data aggregation and data transfer activities, but data verification and form-filling activities took more time. Interviews revealed that field workers saw value in using ODK Scan, but they were more concerned about the time-consuming aspects of the use of ODK Scan. Therefore, it is concluded that minimal disturbance in the existing workflow, continuous feedback and value additions are the important considerations for the implementing organization to ensure technology adoption and workflow improvements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue e-Health)
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Review
Instagram and WhatsApp in Health and Healthcare: An Overview
by Maged N. Kamel Boulos, Dean M. Giustini and Steve Wheeler
Future Internet 2016, 8(3), 37; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/fi8030037 - 26 Jul 2016
Cited by 157 | Viewed by 44884
Abstract
Instagram and WhatsApp are two social media and networking services introduced in 2010. They are currently subsidiaries of Facebook, Inc., California, USA. Using evidence from the published literature and case reports indexed in PubMed and other sources, we present an overview of the [...] Read more.
Instagram and WhatsApp are two social media and networking services introduced in 2010. They are currently subsidiaries of Facebook, Inc., California, USA. Using evidence from the published literature and case reports indexed in PubMed and other sources, we present an overview of the various applications of Instagram and WhatsApp in health and healthcare. We also briefly describe the main issues surrounding the uses of these two apps in health and medicine. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue e-Health)
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