Introducing Digital Wellness: Bringing Cyberpsychological Balance to Healthcare and Information Technology

Information technology's potential for beneficial effect in healthcare is considerable, but has yet to be realised. While definitions of concepts in this area vary, they are largely uniform in their positivity. In this paper, we outline some psychological issues with the use of technology in healthcare, including e-health, m-health, pervasive health, telehealth and related initiatives. Fundamentally, we urge a more cyberpsychological approach to the use of technology in healthcare. By illustrating with regard to the phenomenon of cyberchondria (anxiety induced by health related internet search behaviour), we explain possible downsides of e-health. Furthermore, we show how this necessitates the need for a measure of digital wellness -- consideration of how a person relates, both physically and mentally, to information technology. It is therefore recommended that eHealth researchers and practitioners consider a number of cyberpsychological concepts and related psychometric scales when they progress new initiatives.