From smart bracelets that tell patients when to take their medicine, to devices that track the brain, body or even the mind, technology is transforming the way we practice, manage and deliver healthcare.
A new book by IESE Professor Magdalene Rosenmöller, Diane Whitehouse and Petra Wilson is an anatomy of the phenomenon of “eHealth.” From the 1990s through to the present, Managing eHealth: From Vision to Reality tracks the transformative impact of technology on healthcare across products, services and processes.
The book, which is the result of research carried out by IESE’s Center for Research in Healthcare Innovation Management, stresses the central role of management in overcoming challenges and realizing the full potential of eHealth.
eHealth: Goals and Stakeholders
Contemporary eHealth, say the authors, touches topics as diverse as electronic health records, mobile telephony, genetic data research for prevention of disease, wearable technology and big data, which can be harvested to improve the management on health care and systems.
The goal of improving health and care, they argue, falls to people, policy and practices. With essays from health policymakers, business school professors, senior executives, researchers, health professionals and patients, the book is set out around three main perspectives.
eHealth Politics: Policy and Institutions
From government to governance, contributors review eHealth policies at the national and global levels, including Jean-Claude Healy’s role in European eHealth policy, and the work of the World Health Organization.Professionals, Patients and Consumers
The book analyses the role of people – from healthcare professionals to patients and the general public – in bridging gaps left by institutions and regulators. It points to growing health “literacy” in the public, driven by the internet, mobile phones and social media, citing groups like Health on the Net which help user surf the web for trustworthy sources.
Prof. Rosenmöller co-authors an essay outlining the “increasingly intimate relationship between patients and eHealth” such as the Flowlab – a telemedicine accelerator that deploys gamefication, devices and patient platforms to bring eHealth technology closer to people. Good management, she insists, is paramount in order to realize the true value of eHealth for patients and people.New Ways of Working and Future Challenges
The book explores the challenges of implementation and the opportunities to move hospitals from traditional and reactive medicine to a more preventative and predictive approach. Prof. Rosenmöller, co-authors and contributors share insight and advice on how to navigate the paradigm shifts that are already underway, where solid management practices are key in moving eHealth from vision to reality.
More information in IESE Insight