eHealth, what is it and why is it the future of medicine

With the pandemic, the process of digitalization accelerated and made it clearer than ever that technology is of the utmost importance in all fields where humanity intervenes, one of them being that of health.

While face-to-face activities have gradually returned to 'normal', Big Data experts estimate that the future of medicine lies in eHealth also known as eHealth.

eHealth is a way in which information and communication technologies (ICTs) applied to health are applied through variants such as telemedicine, which many people are familiar with, after taking a video call consultation with health professionals during the pandemic. It is presumed that this modality is here to stay, thanks to the fact that it facilitates medical care in all areas and without time limits.

But it not only covers remote consultations, but also includes other health products and services such as mobile applications that can be installed on mobile phones or tablets. For example, many women use apps to keep track of their menstruation and there are those who install apps to manage the calories they consume.

Wearable devices are also present, such as watches or smart rings that measure heart rate, steps, sleep quality, among other things. There are also smart t-shirts, glasses, among others, with which healthcare professionals can have a better patient history thanks to monitoring data, which will be integrated into the diagnosis.

BigData is another major pillar of eHealth. This is the analysis of big data that allows you to customize treatments to detect risk factors and possible drug side effects. Again, the pandemic has been an example of how this information can be applied to save lives.

But these have not been the only technologies that were developed or will continue to be used in the future. Chatbos have also demonstrated their relevance to answer frequently asked questions that many people have about a disease, or to establish appointments, among other medical options.

Needless to say, there are already 3D and 4D printing projects in medicine. In 4D, ultrasound scans are printed that allow, for example, to know more precisely the development of a fetus. 3D, in addition to allowing the printing of medical supplies, especially in contexts where there is a shortage such as the recent health crisis, there are those who explore the option of bioprinting, that is to say 3D printing organs and tissues.

Other projects also cover the printing of prostheses such as legs, feet, arms or other limbs of the body. All of these open the door to the future so that they are increasingly used and with improvements for their users. These applications would not only be limited to humans.

And on the way to the metaverse, Virtual Reality (VR), will have several uses that will allow better patient care. Robotics also does its thing, for example, at CES 2022 a child's robot was presented for dentists to practice with it before treating real children.

Experts say that eHealth allows you to save costs and offer more personalized care, empower the patient, improving aspects such as adherence to treatment, allowing more efficient management of patient data. It also allows constant and instant interaction with the patient, improving physicians' access to useful and reliable information through the Internet and applications.

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