What is eHealth?

The European Commission describes e-health as all of the tools based on information and communication technologies that are used in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and management of health and the way of life. The concept covers interaction between patients and providers of healthcare services, the transmission of data on an equal basis between patients and healthcare professionals; it also includes the health information networks, electronic medical histories, telemedicine services and the personal and portable systems of communication for following up on patients’ assistance.

The tools allow, for instance, communication at the right time and in the right place of data that can save a life, which is of primordial importance with the increasing cross-border movement of citizens and patients. EHealth benefits everyone because it improves access to assistance, as well as its quality. It contributes to placing the individual at the centre of the healthcare systems and to increasing the sector’s effectiveness, productivity and viability.

From the European Union, a "European Space of on-Line Health" has been created from where actions are coordinated and synergies are promoted between similar policies and parties concerned in order to find better solutions, prevent market fragmenting and disseminate best practices. Specific objectives include: creating electronic medical record architecture, giving support to the exchange of information and standardisation, establishing networks of health information among points of attention in order to coordinate replies to health threats; guaranteeing the provision of on-line health services such as information on healthy life and prevention of illnesses; and developing the capacities of teleconsultation, on-line prescription, on-line derivation and on-line reimbursement.

In 2005, the World Health Organisation (OMS) created the Global Observatory for Ehealth in order to carry out systematic investigations on the eHealth phenomenon. Although eHealth is the phenomenon experiencing the fastest growth among the areas of health today, global research in this area is limited and is basic for feeding eHealth policies and practices.

In Catalonia, in 2007 the Ministry of Health drove the creation of the TicSalut Foundation in order to encourage the development and use of information and communication technologies (ICT) and networking in the area of Catalan health, advancing towards a model based on personalised, human attention for all citizens.