Information infrastructure for an integrated healthcare services network

The growing demand for more efficient and effective healthcare services, coupled with an implicit requirement for supporting citizen mobility and continuity of care, is currently setting the stage for the exploitation of information and communications technologies, also known as information society technologies, in the healthcare sector. The current vision comprises affordable access to healthcare resources and services for all citizens, thus making medical expertise a shared resource wherever and whenever needed. Important areas in which information society technologies are likely to have a significant impact include those of pre-hospital health emergencies, remote monitoring of patients with chronic conditions and medical collaboration through sharing of health-related information resources. Accessibility to these and other media-rich, user-oriented services, in the context of the emerging global information society, will be supported by a healthcare information infrastructure (HII) which can achieve effective horizontal integration of networked information sources.