eHealth or “digital health”, according to the World Health Organization’s European Office, “involves a broad group of activities that use electronic means to deliver health-related information, resources and services: it is the use of information and communication technologies for health”
eHealth refers to electronic health and uses computers and the internet to store and manage the medical records instead of maintaining them on paper files. eHealth is also known as health information technology. eHealth strengthens the patient-physician relationship by providing valuable information.
According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of health information professionals will increase by 22% by 2022. eHealth has various subdomains like Electronic Health Records (EHR), Electronic Medical Record (EMR), health IT systems, consumer health IT data, mobile health, and big data systems used in digital health.
Digital health startups raised an all-time high of USD 11.5 billion in 2017, topping 2016’s record of USD 8 billion. Currently, 90% of life sciences and 95% of technology companies are planning to increase their investment in eHealth while 57.5% of life sciences companies see partnering as the best way for entering and succeeding in eHealth. Also, 61.6% of technology and 52.1% of life sciences companies see Merger & Acquisition as an attractive route for entering and succeeding in eHealth, though 86.7% of them consider eHealth assets are overvalued
The global eHealth market has been gaining substantial popularity worldwide in the last few years. The growing awareness among hospitals and clinics regarding the benefits provided by eHealth systems is expected to accelerate the growth of the global market in the forecast period.
Technological developments play a crucial role in the expansion of the global market. The rising use of tablets, smartphones, and laptops as a quick and easy mode of communication is likely to supplement the growth of the market. Video visits, wearable & mobile devices are quickly becoming a ubiquitous part of the healthcare system. E-Health use has risen to an adoption rate of 70.5%, there are more than 2,50,000 health apps being used by the patients, worldwide.
How Could Global eHealth Market Address The COVID-19 Concerns?
The COVID-19 crisis is demonstrating the potential of digital health technology to manage some of our greatest public health challenges. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has issued a call to action for technology companies to help the science community answer high-priority scientific questions related to COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also recognized that technology and surveillance systems can play an integral role in supporting the public health response to outbreaks.
The following are just a few examples of how technology has the potential to play an integral role in flattening the curve, limiting the spread of the virus, and assisting in the treatment of infected individuals. Perhaps the positive impact of these technologies will further accelerate the adoption and importance of digital innovation in healthcare. However, such innovation still needs to be balanced with the continuing need for safety.
Artificial intelligence has also been implemented in hospitals in the United States and abroad to help medical professionals screen visitors and treat infected patients. Hospitals with access to digital health technology can more effectively monitor and manage the coronavirus pandemic.
For example, in Florida, Tampa General Hospital is using artificial intelligence developed by Care.ai, Inc. to screen hospital visitors with camera-embedded facial scanners that analyze facial attributes and thermal scans to determine whether a visitor is feverish. Similarly, researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst are developing FluSense, an artificial intelligence device intended to analyze cough sounds to assess the potential spread of viral respiratory diseases. Hospitals are deploying tools like these to help reduce the spread of the virus.
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