Social Impacts of e-Health in Norway

Abstract

Norway spends more on public healthcare per person than any other European country. The government and the Norwegian health authorities are committed to improving the country's healthcare service through the use of innovative information and communication technology, generally referred to as ehealth. Society in Norway benefits from an integrated ehealth care system where the patient is at its centre regardless of the person's level of income or geographical location. The long-term national ehealth strategy “one citizen – one record” is the basis for all ehealth national strategies and initiatives. With its challenging geographical environment and ageing population, telemedicine and other ehealth developments such as eprescription and electronic health records (EHR) are important tools in successfully implementing new ehealth reforms that continue to impact society in Norway.