The world has shifted from an industrial revolution to an information age where information has the power to determine at a high level the status of countries’ economies down to an individual’s health. eHealth is a pioneering approach that aims to improve health systems and services using digital technologies. eHealth can improve the lives of people by providing information and advice through various appropriate digital technologies, but in doing so it should be done is such a way that helps and not hinders and universally improves the lives of all and not a privileged few.

In African hospitals with heavy diseases burdens, a shortage of medical personnel, and limited medical equipment and drugs, new technologies are not always embraced and are sometimes considered a cumbrance; another duty to be added onto an already heavy workload. A lot of factors need to be considered when introducing new technology in poor settings such as: power supply, levels of information literacy, security, usability, cultural context, location. End users whether they are patients, hospital staff, health information technicians, need to be consulted from the onset and need to be engaged through the whole process. Open dialogue and feedback should characterize the relationships between implementers and users.  If all these characteristics are adhered to, eHealth can achieve its full potential of saving lives in remote areas.

However information alone is not enough to make the tremendous changes that are needed in health systems and health services. The old adage of behaviour change is also needed. Societies in developed countries like the UK and USA, despite being all to aware of the dangers of smoking or excessive consumption of junk food suffer from obesity, cancer and heart disease. Even with shocking media coverage, consistent warnings from doctors, and the abundance of information, people still continue to live unhealthy lifestyles in developed countries. The same can be said of the behaviour change campaigns of the HIV and AIDS epidemic, which have shown that knowledge is not always translated into action. The behaviour change that is needed on the African content is not just for patients but includes medical personnel, policy makers, educators, community leaders understanding the importance of health information and seeing it as means to an end.  

eHealth can be considered an expensive solution given governments limited health funding. Given the choice between developing costly infrastructure for health systems and procuring life saving drugs, one is more likely to choose the later. Governments need to be convinced that developing eHealth infrastructures is a solution, not the only solution but part of a joint approach to improve health care and disease prevention. With compelling evidence and convincing arguments limited resource countries can fully embrace and effectively utilize eHealth.

Tags: ehealth