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CDM Seminar Series 2003-04 |
Many Health Information Systems improve patient care, while others make health
systems more efficient. In fact, people can improve their health using some
online services: information on healthy living, illness prevention tips, electronic
health records, online counseling, etc. Also, the healthcare systems can reduce
costs if health information networks are realized so as to speed the flow of
health information through these systems.
The next Health Information Systems should combine and improve both of these
aspects, in order to provide better health and healthcare through the use of
information and communication technologies. People should have the possibility
to have easy access to their personal health information from their homes, while
the healthcare professionals should have access to personal data only if necessary
to ensure patients’ health. Either in the first or in the second situation
the access must be quick and secure.
So, healthcare should become e-healthcare; examples of new Health Information
Systems can be found in the European Union, such as MedCom and NHS Direct Online.
This objective can be accomplished only if some key principles are followed:
- interoperability
- security and privacy protection
- cost-reduction
- automatic data processing.
