Healthography of e-health access: A global perspective

Background:  Access to e-Health varies in different regions in the world.  E-Health could support many public health goals, especially in disease surveillance and supporting efficient and effective health care.  In comparison, the populations in the world have different types of access to e-Health and the services benefit the populations in different ways.   The objectives of this study are:1. provide a map of access to the e-Health in different regions in the world; 2.  analyze the different public health benefits for the populations in the context of the healthography; 3. discuss the capacity needs.

Method:  This project uses a meta-analysis and case analysis approach to examine the access to e-Health in the world in terms of: I. the types of  e-Health services and capacity available; II, the ways in which they support the public health goals in different regions; III. the map of the capacity needs.

Results:  The populations have different kinds of access and usage of e-Health  in Africa, the Americas, Europe, and Asia; 2.  The use of e-Health is determined by the policy support, capacity, and the needs of the health systems; 3.  the e-Health benefits have supported public health goals in the global context.

Conclusion:  The healthography of access to e-Health varies in  different regions in the world.  This access has benefited the population health in different ways.  The benefits include: disease surveillance, prevention, diagnosis, some intervention, etc.   E-health has also increased the coverage, patient-centeredness, and flexibility for the patients.   Yet, capacity building is needed to increase efficiency and effectiveness.