The role of e-Health in the changing health care environment

The goals of e-Health can be summarized to include increased efficiency in health care, improved quality of care, increased commitment to evidence-based medicine, empowerment of patients and consumers, and the development of new relationships between patients and health professionals (Austin & Boxerman, 2003). According to Deluca and Enmark (2000), e-Business includes online procurement processing between health care providers and suppliers, online electronic claims processing, eligibility authorization from insurance companies, and consumer purchase of prescription drugs and health insurance. Clinical customer service includes patient access to medical information via electronic health records allowing them to conduct risk assessments of their own health and include patient-physician interaction using e-mail.