What is determining the impact of an eHealth technology?
Several examples of research topics that determine the impact of eHealth technology are:
- What impact does the eHealth technology have on patient or consumer health and wellbeing?
- Improved clinical values.
- Improved quality of life, social functioning, or general and mental health and wellbeing.
- Improved lifestyle, self-care and self-monitoring.
- Improved attitude and increased knowledge, behavioural intention and actual behaviour.
- Improved compliance with advice or treatment adherence.
What is the impact of the eHealth technology on healthcare delivery?
- Increased availability of healthcare, independent of place and time.
- Increased efficiency: reduced utilization of (unnecessary) healthcare services, time savings.
- Increased safety by the reduction errors by healthcare professionals.
- Improved interaction between caregivers and patients, among caregivers or among patients.
What is the aim of determining the impact of an eHealth technology?
The results of the evaluation methods can be used for several purposes. First of all, claims can be made about the effects of an eHealth technology. If the added value of a technology is apparent and objective, it will be easier to implement it on a larger scale. Also, results can be used to make changes to the technology itself. If it becomes apparent that some features of the technology aren’t used at all, or if users are dissatisfied with a specific element of the technology, this should be adapted.