Preface

摘要

e-Health - in its many forms - continues to be implemented throughout the globe, yet sound evidence of its 'value' to healthcare systems remains limited, and achieving its successful, sustained integration is a challenge. Telehealth, one component of e-health, also suffers from the same shortcomings, and has not yet reached the necessary tipping point for assuring its universal adoption. Health consultations delivered via videoconferencing, store-and-forward solutions for remote provision of health services, and home monitoring of patients for telecare are examples of some diverse areas of Telehealth that offer gains in quality and efficiency. In contrast, the recent spontaneous growth of mobile healthcare solutions as smartphones become more common amongst healthcare providers, and creation of web-based wellness promotion and health management tools has opened up whole new areas for Telehealth to provide future benefits.