How e-Health Has Influenced Patient Care and Medical Education: Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The concept of e-Health involves the application of information and communication technologies from off-site locations to various domains of healthcare ranging from patient care, public health, and administration to health education. It refers to health informatics, telemedicine, electronic health records, and clinical decision support systems. The e-health initiatives aim to improve health outcomes in terms of quality, access, affordability, and efficient monitoring. The application of e-health interventions has particularly expanded in recent times because of the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. It has been proven to be nearly as effective as in-person care along with high patient and provider satisfaction and at decreased costs. We present our experience from the use of various e-health interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic along with a review of related literature. This ranged from Internet-based services, interactive TV or Polycom’s, kiosks, online monitoring of patient’s vital signs, and remote consultations with experts. Our success and experience with various e-health interventions during the pandemic allow us to provide a more hybrid form of healthcare in the future both for patient care and medical education and training.