What is eHealth (6)? Development of a Conceptual Model for eHealth: Qualitative Study with Key Informants

Abstract

BackgroundDespite rapid growth in eHealth research, there remains a lack of consistency in defining and using terms related to eHealth. More widely cited definitions provide broad understanding of eHealth but lack sufficient conceptual clarity to operationalize eHealth and enable its implementation in health care practice, research, education, and policy. Definitions that are more detailed are often context or discipline specific, limiting ease of translation of these definitions across the breadth of eHealth perspectives and situations. A conceptual model of eHealth that adequately captures its complexity and potential overlaps is required. This model must also be sufficiently detailed to enable eHealth operationalization and hypothesis testing.ObjectiveThis study aimed to develop a conceptual practice-based model of eHealth to support health professionals in applying eHealth to their particular professional or discipline contexts.MethodsWe conducted semistructured interviews with key informants (N=25) from organizations involved in health care delivery, research, education, practice, governance, and policy to explore their perspectives on and experiences with eHealth. We used purposeful sampling for maximum diversity. Interviews were coded and thematically analyzed for emergent domains.ResultsThematic analyses revealed 3 prominent but overlapping domains of eHealth: (1) health in our hands (using eHealth technologies to monitor, track, and inform health), (2) interacting for health (using digital technologies to enable health communication among practitioners and between health professionals and clients or patients), and (3) data enabling health (collecting, managing, and using health data). These domains formed a model of eHealth that addresses the need for clear definitions and a taxonomy of eHealth while acknowledging the fluidity of this area and the strengths of initiatives that span multiple eHealth domains.ConclusionsThis model extends current understanding of eHealth by providing clearly defined domains of eHealth while highlighting the benefits of using digital technologies in ways that cross several domains. It provides the depth of perspectives and examples of eHealth use that are lacking in previous research. On the basis of this model, we suggest that eHealth initiatives that are most impactful would include elements from all 3 domains.

Development of a Web Portal for Physical Activity and Symptom Tracking in Oncology Patients: Protocol for a Prospective Cohort Study (Preprint)

“…eHealth can be broadly defined as the integration of devices, communication, and data in healthcare [7]. The use of eHealth tools such as web-portals (WPs), wearable activity trackers, and personalised text and email messaging may increase the capacity for delivering individualised, scalable, and costeffective physical activity-based behavioural change initiatives in this population.…”

Exposure to and attitudes regarding electronic healthcare (e‐Health) among physician assistants in Canada: A national survey study

“…The integration of telehealth and other web‐based technologies into the delivery of healthcare is an area of rapid growth internationally (Dorsey & Topol, ; Meier, Fitzgerald, & Smith, ; Michie, Yardley, West, Patrick, & Greaves, ; Weinstein et al, ). These methods are commonly referred to as electronic healthcare or e‐Health, but a consensus definition for what e‐Health specifically refers to is lacking (Oh et al, ; Shaw et al, ). In an earlier systematic review on the definition of e‐Health, Oh et al () found that definitions of e‐Health in the literature varied from straight‐forward explanations such as ‘the integration of the internet into health care’ to more complex definitions including: ‘E‐Health is an emerging field focused on… health care services delivered… through advanced Internet or related technologies’.…”

“…In an earlier systematic review on the definition of e‐Health, Oh et al () found that definitions of e‐Health in the literature varied from straight‐forward explanations such as ‘the integration of the internet into health care’ to more complex definitions including: ‘E‐Health is an emerging field focused on… health care services delivered… through advanced Internet or related technologies’. A recent review by Shaw et al () suggests this lack of consistent definition has persisted and proposes that e‐Health definitions be framed around three overlapping domains, broadly discussed as (a) self‐management, (b) interacting and (c) data enabling. In line with this framework, we have defined e‐Health in this study as technologies that enable assessment and disease management either with provider‐patient interaction or entirely patient‐driven.…”

An assessment of the level of awareness of e-health among Saudi medical students

“…E-health was also defined as internet-based health-related information seeking and developing to support health services locally, regionally, and globally [8]. E-health was recently defined by Shaw et al [9] as an emerging field in the intersection of medical informatics, public health, and business. The term characterizes not only a technical development, but also a state-of-mind, a way of thinking, an attitude, and a commitment for networked global thinking, to improve healthcare locally, regionally, and worldwide by using information and communication technology (ICT).…”