Interactive communication in the delivery of care has become a critical tool in mental health care. E-health, telehealth, telemedicine can be known as different approaches to offer communication and transmissions of information to remote areas. Establishing full understanding of the differences in these terms is essential.
2.1.1 E-HEALTH
Term of E-health (also written as eHealth= electronic health services) has been on transformation phase, where it has been linked to several concepts such as electronic records and business industry. The term has been associated as “umbrella” term, which covers extensive health care services through information and communication technologies. (Barbabella et al.
2017) Clear definition of E-health has been stated by the WHO; “the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) for health. Examples include treating patients, conducting research, educating the health workforce, tracking diseases and monitoring public health”
(World Health Organization, 2017a). E-health focuses to offer and provide better health care services in different places. Furthermore, E-health is not only providing health care to remote areas but increasing the integrity of efficiency in health care.
E-health term encases electronic tools and services, health records, health information systems, remote monitoring and consultation services and health data analytics (Barbabella et al.2017).
E-health involves interaction between patients and health care professionals, institution-to-institution and communication between patients and/or health care professionals. (European Commission, 2012). Health care utilizes ITC to improve disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, and healthcare management. The concept encompasses variety of objectives such as efficiency, enhancing quality and evidence-based health (Eysenbach, 2001).
Types of eHealth
• A phone or message conversation between patient and health care professional
• Remote monitoring vital signs
• Providing guidance for patients via technology device
• Providing health promotion and management advices via technological device
• Remote consultation between patient and health care professional or health care professional to another
• Video conferencing
• Electronic health records and services
• Health information systems
• Health data analytics
(Barbabella et al. 2017 & Peate 2013, 18) 2.1.2 TELEHEALTH
Telehealth has been said to be the 21st century health care. (Maeder et al. 2014) Telehealth enables people to manage their own health care from remote areas by their technology devices.
Oxford´s Concise Medical Dictionary defines telehealth as utilizing information and communication technology to connect health care professional and patients which are geographically separated (Molineux, 2017). Telehealth offers beyond new strategy to clinical settings. According to WHO, delivering health care includes virtual home care, guidance in procedures, monitoring different body functions and educating and engaging patients (World Health Organization, 2018b) In addition, it offers easier access to health care professionals if the patient is living in remote place (Hockstein, 2019).
Telehealth services has been applied in several specified field in health care. In Finland, effective alternative solution for clinical setting is video conferencing services. Those services
are utilized with geriatric- and psychiatric patients. Furthermore, occupational health services have integrated telehealth to their services (Koivisto et al. 2019). Several findings show that telehealth services have provided effective interventions and solutions for chronically ill patients (Langarizadeh et al. 2017).
2.1.3 TELEMEDICINE
Telemedicine is referred to “healing at distance” with utilizing different aspects of ITC. The term has begun to take place in the medical field since 1970s. (World Health Organization, 2010b) Telemedicine offers and enables people to provide health care services for patients who were located in remote places. Before telemedicine was associated with medical doctors providing the service but nowadays it used by different health care providers. It has become a convenient tool for health care professionals. Medical procedures can be remoted and accessibility to health care services is provided. (Fong et. al 2011) The valid exchange what it imports, is information for diagnoses, medical care and prevention, research, evaluation and education (World Health Organization, 2016c).
Telemedicine services offers clinical support for intended geographical barriers, such as people living in remote areas. Current innovation in health care is utilizing field of telemedicine among child and adolescent mental health in remote, sparsely populated areas in Northern Savo.
Several articles have shown that telemedicine promotes effective collaborative care in chronical disease management. With mental health patients, it has found to be the most successful if its combed with right technologies. Collaborative care with utilizing videoconferencing has found to be the most effective and it offers the most optimized care for mental health patients (Turvey
& Fortney, 2017).
2.1.4 ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD
Digital version of patients’ medical and health history is called an Electronic Health Record (EHR). It stores and contains available information about patients´ medical and treatment history. An EHR has played considerable role of in primary health care and it has noticed to increased clinical information with reference of improving quality of care (Raymond et al.
2017). Based on WHO, the EHR includes comprehensive information about individual ´s health profile, test and imaging, medications, immunizations, behaviour and environmental aspects.
The information is enrolled and accessed by the health care professionals. Moreover, it stores the information over the individuals´ lifetime (World Health Organization, 2006g) Every individual must encounter access to their EHR. European Union (EU) has secured EU-citizens to access their medical data. (Strudwick & Eyasu, 2015)
The EHR´s are continuously implemented in alternating environments, such as mental health field. Nurses in mental health settings have had positive experiences by using EHR. They found care planning and standardized approach to achieve better outcomes for mental health patient (Strudwick & Eyasu, 2015). Overall, use of an EHR have been noticed to increase quality of care, productivity, legibility in a streamline and reduce medical errors (Hoover, 2016).
2.1.5 VIDEO CONFERENCING
One of oldest and promising online support form of care for mental health patients is called Video Conferencing. It is specified as a transmitting audio-and visual signal conference service between two or more participants in different places in real time. It utilizes the technology-enabled real-time transmission of video and audio. VC has been successfully used globally in several ways in mental health services (Benavides-Vaello et.al 2013). It has addressed to increase a quality and accessibility of mental health patients´ care (Pesämaa et al. 2004). In addition, it has been shown to be as effective as face-to-face counselling. (Buckley & Weisser 2012; De Weger et al. 2013; Hilty et al. 2013). The VC innovations are utilized by conferencing with several participants, medical consultations, telemonitoring, evaluating and education (Hasselberg, 2020). Furthermore, it is the most commonly used form of eHealth.
2.1.6 M-HEALTH
M-health, also known as mobile health, refers to wireless technologies for medicine and public health. It provides medical practices and health services in broad reach and wide acceptance through telecommunication and multimedia technologies. It allows health care support, delivery and interventions through different mobile devises (Marston et al.2017). Health care field offers M-health services via mobile services such as applications, smartphones and tablets.
The application utilizes imagine sends, voice overs, short messaging services (SMS), sensors, attachments which could sending data from blood samples or heart rate (Steinhubl et al. 2015)
However, M-health´s rapid expand, According to WHO, the M-Health does not own standardized definition (World Health Organization, 2011).
2.1.7 COMBINING TECHNOLOGIES
New innovations of technologies have revolutionized the health care provision. If efficiency and changes in the service structure are conducted, it is essential to think which new solutions will help in the future when the population changes radically. Concept of health care technology stand of digital applications, processes and different platforms which are used in improve collection, management, distribution of information and data (Arak & Wójcik, 2017). New solutions, such as mobile medical devices, remote monitoring technologies and electronic patient records has noticed to alleviate patients prompt diagnoses and treatments. Simply by combining features like audio, graphic, storage, data transfer, sensor-based technology and software; integrates and analyses new solutions for health care. These solutions have been started exploit globally in field of health care.
Based on eHealth Economics report, in 2017, a variety of health-related applications were estimated to be available in the world at 325,000 (eHealth Economics report, 2017). With smartphone applications, wearable sensors, web-services and other technical aids, people collect data related to eating, moods, physical and mental performance, time management, social interaction, movement and sleeping. The key idea is to use one's personal information to improve the quality of life.
Health technology is nowadays seen as an important part of our society in providing health services. The field of healthcare is increasingly shifting from disease management to health promotion. Which stands for that health technology have key role in health care field. New possible technological trends and drivers in healthcare will take place. Technology promotes and supports self-management in health and well-being. It will contribute to better well-being and cost-effectiveness of society (Thimbleby, 2013). With eHealth technology, people have opportunity to receive high quality and proficient health care services (PwC, 2007). E-health features has perceived to reduce mortality rates, reduce diagnosing complications and shorten hospital stays. All benefits linked together guarantees economic benefit (good eHealth report, 2009). As health technology evolves and expands its use, reduce costs, benefiting society, the consumer and the environment (Toimialaraportti, 2007, 7).