E-health: The Effects On Patient Empowerment And (Mental) Healthcare
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Abstract
Background
By now e-health improving patient empowerment and leading to participatory health care is general knowledge. But the exact meaning of 'patient empowerment' without a theoretical concept of empowerment, is debatable. More detailed exploration of e-health reveals it having different appearances and focuses within the different health care domains. Possibility of each intervention having its own empowering value for the patient, within the different phases of treatment, the over all effect of e-health and of patient empowerment on the health care system and the health care professionals within the different health care domains need to be addressed.
It can be assumed that a study into the empowering value of e-health could lead to meaningful recommendations for further e-health innovations within the mental health care. This study started in October 2009 and will be finished by the end of august 2010.
Objective
What is the empowering value of e-health and different e-health interventions on patient empowerment, and how does this affect healthcare and the healthcare professional.
Sub questions:
- What is patient empowerment?
- What is the effect of e-health on healthcare system and healthcare professional?
- How can e-health interventions be related to the different phases of the treatment period: the intervention cycle.
- What is the empowering value of various e-health interventions, during the different phases of treatment, for the patient and what does this mean for the healthcare professional and the healthcare system.
Methods
A qualitative research, combining a desk study into e-health in the various healthcare domains with interviews with e-health experts are done. First outcomes were confronted and presented to an expert group, leading to final conclusions.
Results
Empowerment is defined in a model, bases on four variables: information sharing, collaboration, communication, attitude. The focus of these four variables is defined for both patient and healthcare professional. The effect of e-health on the healthcare system generally was described. All the research material about the e-health interventions was analyzed, looking at their value during the different phases of the intervention cycle. The outcome was a description of each e-health intervention, for instance, online e-learning or online monitoring, and the empowering value for the patient related to the treatment phase. As a next step, the impact for the healthcare professional was described.
Conclusions
First results show the definition of empowerment, and the empowering value of e-health in general. E-health has a huge impact on the healthcare system and health care professional. We can learn a lot by looking at e-health (interventions) across health care domains.
All results and the final conclusion will be available by the end of august 2010. But it is clear to me that this exploring research not only leads to conclusions and recommendations but also raises new questions, such as: should e-health and patient empowerment be obligatory? And how can we benefit from knowledge, or maybe better, stimulate the exchange of knowledge across the different health care domains and e-health interventions.
By now e-health improving patient empowerment and leading to participatory health care is general knowledge. But the exact meaning of 'patient empowerment' without a theoretical concept of empowerment, is debatable. More detailed exploration of e-health reveals it having different appearances and focuses within the different health care domains. Possibility of each intervention having its own empowering value for the patient, within the different phases of treatment, the over all effect of e-health and of patient empowerment on the health care system and the health care professionals within the different health care domains need to be addressed.
It can be assumed that a study into the empowering value of e-health could lead to meaningful recommendations for further e-health innovations within the mental health care. This study started in October 2009 and will be finished by the end of august 2010.
Objective
What is the empowering value of e-health and different e-health interventions on patient empowerment, and how does this affect healthcare and the healthcare professional.
Sub questions:
- What is patient empowerment?
- What is the effect of e-health on healthcare system and healthcare professional?
- How can e-health interventions be related to the different phases of the treatment period: the intervention cycle.
- What is the empowering value of various e-health interventions, during the different phases of treatment, for the patient and what does this mean for the healthcare professional and the healthcare system.
Methods
A qualitative research, combining a desk study into e-health in the various healthcare domains with interviews with e-health experts are done. First outcomes were confronted and presented to an expert group, leading to final conclusions.
Results
Empowerment is defined in a model, bases on four variables: information sharing, collaboration, communication, attitude. The focus of these four variables is defined for both patient and healthcare professional. The effect of e-health on the healthcare system generally was described. All the research material about the e-health interventions was analyzed, looking at their value during the different phases of the intervention cycle. The outcome was a description of each e-health intervention, for instance, online e-learning or online monitoring, and the empowering value for the patient related to the treatment phase. As a next step, the impact for the healthcare professional was described.
Conclusions
First results show the definition of empowerment, and the empowering value of e-health in general. E-health has a huge impact on the healthcare system and health care professional. We can learn a lot by looking at e-health (interventions) across health care domains.
All results and the final conclusion will be available by the end of august 2010. But it is clear to me that this exploring research not only leads to conclusions and recommendations but also raises new questions, such as: should e-health and patient empowerment be obligatory? And how can we benefit from knowledge, or maybe better, stimulate the exchange of knowledge across the different health care domains and e-health interventions.
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