eHealth and the future: promise or peril?

Abstract

Introduction Despite the futuristic sound of the scenario in the box below, all the technologies mentioned are available, and some, such as computer interviewing, have been used since the 1960s. Such a scenario raises questions about the nature of clinical practice and healthcare systems—for example, how muchinformation and responsibility should be transferred to patients when technology allows it. This final article examines some of these issues, and ends the series where it started, with a reminder that health informatics is more about understanding people and new models of care than it is about technology.