Ubiquitous Healthcare Information System: Assessment of its Impacts to Patient’s Information

Abstract

In recent years, healthcare systems around the globe have undergone an increasing pressure to improve healthcare services, for chronic-disease patients as well as the general population, through effective prevention and post-operative care. Growth in governments’ healthcare spending which is fuelled by an ageing population, limited financial and human resources plus an increase in the rate of chronic diseases are considered as the reasons for the increase in healthcare organisations’ pressure. With advancement in technology, healthcare organisations are now moving towards Ubiquitous healthcare, which is an emerging field of technology that uses a large number of environmental and patients’ sensors and actuators to monitor patient’s mental and physical conditions. Once a ubiquitous healthcare service is in place, then the ubiquitous healthcare information system will “always be on” and hence promising better health and well-being for the general population. Despite the presence of various promises that Ubiquitous healthcare brings to individuals as well as to the society, it also introduces myriad challenges potential for serious abuses such as privacy violations, staff discrimination and even threatening security attacks. Based upon extensive review of international literature, this paper investigates the impacts of ubiquitous healthcare information systems on patients, doctors, healthcare organisations and society in general. Thereafter, we analyse if these systems should be used in healthcare or not.