Emerging technologies for e-healthcare [Editor's Note

Abstract

Healthcare has been a daily concern of individuals, families, and governments in different countries throughout human history. Countries and jurisdictions have different policies and plans in relation to the personal and population-based healthcare goals within their societies. In addition, the healthcare industry has impact on every other industry as healthy employees are critical for a successful business. A recent study by professional services company Towers Watson shows that the average healthcare cost per person over the world increased by 9.8 percent in 2011 and is projected to rise at a similar level in 2012. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States spent $7146 on healthcare per capita and 15.2 percent of its GDP on healthcare budget. The federal finance minister of Canada also indicated that national funding for healthcare will grow from $27 billion in 2011-2012 to a minimum $38 billion in 2018-2019. With these huge monetary/labor investments, healthcare has evolved rapidly as an advanced technology over the past decades, and it can be delivered in a fast and safe way with high quality. The evolution of healthcare changes our way of living and forms a significant part of a country's economy. However, healthcare is still far from satisfactory in many aspects. For example, people increase their expectation for healthcare services while the aging population makes healthcare shortage even worse. The shortage of healthcare practitioners and inefficient use of healthcare resources are serious problems in the world. A public opinion research report reveals that Canadians are frustrated about the lack of action on reducing medical waiting times, the shortage of doctors and nurses, and cutbacks in medical services, despite many promises by political leaders.