The internet’s potential for enhancing healthcare

Abstract

Computers have metamorphosed physically and functionally, from mainframes with few users to smart phones carried by many, and the internet has changed how people communicate with each other and with organisations. The world wide web (www) is widely used to access health information from public, commercial and self-help sources, albeit with risks that people may follow inappropriate advice. In contrast, risk free emergency alarm buttons enable wearers to summon help. Their market penetration is increasing, sometimes through pressure from carers rather than desire from wearers who may find them stigmatising. Healthcare support also comes via email contact. At present this seldom goes beyond activities such as making appointments and getting reminders, but research suggests it can provide a range of health related benefits. In some instances a phone call or text message may offer similar support, but email permits easy automation which potentially saves professionals’ time, although the extent of the changes needed to working practices are unclear. Computers can malfunction and broadband speeds can drop, so at present healthcare support via email is for the early adopters. Assessing the longer term return on investment of www and email is complicated by falling technology costs and rising costs of skilled health staff. In future, contact between patients and healthcare professionals could be by video link. Video links between physiotherapists and patients have been found to aid recovery from a range of illnesses. As skype becomes a more familiar link between grandparents and grandchildren, video healthcare interactions will become more viable. Slower to enter the market place are systems that monitor people’s well-being and safety. These systems range from those concerned with physiological states, such as sugar levels and blood pressure, to those concerned with behavioural events, such as falls or wandering by patients with dementia. Pilot research projects suggest telemonitoring can offer useful patient support, but cost-benefit analyses remain equivocal; so too does the acceptability of surveillance technology to those being monitored. In summary, where there is dispersal of appropriate technology among the public, the internet offers benefits both to patients and health professionals. Elsewhere potential health benefits are undermined by lack of interoperability between systems and devices. Nevertheless, as the number of older adults increases so does the need to harness the internet’s potential for reducing the load on health professionals and enhancing the support available to the public.