eHealth Research Theory and Development

Book excerpt: This is the first book to provide a comprehensive overview of the multidisciplinary domain of eHealth – one of the most important recent developments in healthcare. It provides an overview of the possibilities of eHealth for different healthcare sectors, an outline of theoretical underpinnings and effectiveness, and key models, frameworks and methods for its development, implementation, and evaluation. This fully revised second edition brings together up-to-date knowledge on eHealth and includes several new chapters and sections on important topics such as implementation, human-centred design, healthcare systems, and evaluation methods. The first part of this book is focused on the underpinnings of eHealth, and consists of chapters on behaviour change, the possibilities of technology for healthcare systems, and the current state of affairs of eHealth for mental and public health. In the second part, chapters on development, implementation, and evaluation of eHealth are provided, presenting methods, theories and frameworks from disciplines such as human-centred design, engineering, psychology, business modelling, and implementation science. By drawing together expertise from different disciplines, the book offers a holistic approach to the use of technology to support health and wellbeing, giving readers an insight into how eHealth can offer multiple solutions for the major challenges with which our healthcare system is faced. Case studies, learning objectives, end of chapter summaries, and a list of key terms, make this accessible book very suitable for students, as well as researchers and healthcare professionals. Due to its multidisciplinary nature, it can be used by readers from a broad range of fields, such as psychology, health sciences, and human-centred design.