E-Health Applications for Smart and Pervasive Healthcare in Greece. What Can We Expect?

Abstract

e-Health leads to the reshaping of the traditional ways of providing services by health professionals, aiming both at the rationalization of the expenses and the satisfaction of the patients-users of health services. Nevertheless, the key elements which prejudge its success are the measurable results, the guarantee of a broad consensus, as well as the leadership’s commitment to implement it. Ιn Greece, it is implemented within the European action eEurope 2005-eGovernment and the eEurope-i2010 programme. The application of e-Health in Greece is a national priority, for a number of reasons, such as the thousands of islands in the Greek archipelago which make the traditional form of medical care practically impossible. However, the economic crisis that broke out in Greece in 2009, as well as the arrival of waves of refugees in the country raised new issues in the development of the e-Health sector. This chapter analyses the institutional framework of e-Health in Greece. It also outlines the various technological, legal and organizational challenges that arise in the process of implementing e-Health in the pivots of effectiveness, efficiency, quality and equal accessibility. Finally, it develops a strategy for the future of e-Health in the Greek National Health System.