Oh H, Rizo C, Enkin M, Jadad A, et al.
World hospitals and health services : the official journal of the International Hospital Federa.... Date of publication 2005 Jan 1;volume 41(1):32-40.
1. World Hosp Health Serv. 2005;41(1):32-40.
What is eHealth?: a systematic review of published definitions.
Oh H(1), Rizo C, Enkin M, Jadad A.
Author information:
(1)Centre for Global eHealth Innovation, University health Network, Toronto,
Canada.
Republished from
J Med Internet Res. 2005;7(1):e1.
CONTEXT: The term eHealth is widely used by many individuals, academic
institutions, professional bodies and funding organisations. It has become an
accepted neologism despite the lack of an agreed-upon clear or precise
definition. We believe that communication among the many individuals and
organisations that use the term could be improved by comprehensive data about the
range of meanings encompassed by the term.
OBJECTIVE: To report the results of a systematic review of published, suggested
or proposed definitions of eHealth.
DATA SOURCES: Using hte search query string 'eHealth' OR 'e-Health' OR
'electronic health', we searched the following databases: Medline and Premedline
(1996-June 2004), EMBASE (1980-May 2004), International Pharmaceutical Abstracts
(1970-May 2004), Web of Science (all years), Information Sciences Abstracts
(1996-May 2004), Library Information Sciences Abstracts (1969-May 2004), and
Wilson Business Abstracts (1982-March 2004), In addition, we searched
dictionaries and an Internet search engine.
STUDY SELECTION: We included any source published in either print format or on
the Internet, available in English, and containing text that defines or attempts
to define eHealth in explicit terms. Two of us independently reviewed titles and
abstracts of citations identified in the bibliographic databases and Internet
search, reaching consensus on relevance by discussion.
DATA EXTRACTION: We retrieved relevant reports, articles, references, letters and
websites containing definitions of eHealth. Two of us qualitatively analysed the
definitions and coded them for content, emerging themes, patterns and novel
ideas.
DATA SYNTHESIS: The 51 unique definitions that we retrieved showed a wide range
of themes, but no clear consensus about the meaning of the term eHealth. We
identified two universal themes (health and technology) and six less general
(commerce, activities, stakeholders, outcomes, place, and perspectives).
CONCLUSIONS: The widespread use of the term eHealth suggests that it is an
important concept, and that there is a tacit understanding of its meaning. This
compendium of proposed definitions may improve communication among the many
individuals and organisations that use the term.
PMID: 15881824
