The global health network in the 21st Century: “Telehealth,homecare, genetics, counter-bioterrorism, security and privacy ofinformation, do we need it and are we ready for it?”

摘要

The Information Era we live in has created new challenges andopportunities. This age of information highways has an economic pricewhich has not been properly evaluated. Detailed studies are needed toprove the cost and medical effectiveness of these technologies, as wellas their effects on the quality of life. Our society's future may dependon it. People are living longer, while discoveries in genetics and ininformation technology are not only helping to produce newer drugsfaster but are also providing the opportunity to exploit new areas suchas disease prevention. These technologies provide a variety ofopportunities to address public health challenges, such as universalaccess for the uneducated, counter-bioterrorism, telemedicine, distanceeducation and home care. These opportunities present new challenges,such as surveillance and the privacy/confidentiality/security ofpersonal information which will affect all of our lives. No strategy hasbeen presented publicly yet, addressing the benefits or the pitfalls ofsuch technologies