eHealth Policy - The Road to the New Digital Divide?

This 10-page document, prepared for the Making the eHealth Connection: Global Partnerships, Local Solutions Connection conference of 2008 in Bellagio, Italy, describes the potential of eHealth as an example of an environment without boundaries or borders in which "a patient-centric system can allow patients, as individuals, to have greater access to information and decision-making and  move freely across borders with their electronic clinical records safely stored and accessible from foreign shores. So too can health professionals see and treat their patients at a distance, offer services to those who do not have direct access to specialist care, and assist in improving services in resource-poor developing countries while in the comfort of their own homes or offices."

The author states that there is a danger of policy interference unless international global policy or at least a set of “common principles and complementary global eHealth policy (that) will minimize the risk of developing an eHealth policy divide between developed and developing countries..." is put in place. As stated here, the European Union is developing common goals in eHealth. This document anticipates the need for international eHealth policy by looking for a definition and description of what eHealth policy might be. It finds two themes in attempting a definition: 'health’ and ‘technology'. "The World Health Organization (WHO) definition simplifies matters and incorporates these themes: eHealth is the combined use of electronic communication and information technology in the health sector."

The document recommends that "[i]f an eHealth policy is formulated it should not be a stand alone policy, but should be within the context of broader national information society, information society program, or eGovernance program." Because of rapidly changing technology and national-level efforts to develop policies, strategies, and roadmaps to cover issues like standards, interoperability, and data security, the author recommends "development of an alternate set of more readily achievable standards that will enable developing nations to enter into the realm of eHealth. Attention needs to be directed toward interjurisdictional policy issues that will enable and facilitate patient mobility, data mobility, and sharing, both across international borders and regional boundaries within countries." The document warns that "There is a real likelihood that developing countries will be unable to access much needed international telemedicine support as international licensing and liability issues remain unresolved. When viewed from a global perspective, policy is being formulated in a parochial manner as nations, states, and regions attempt to introduce what are perceived to be beneficial eHealth solutions to their problems. Current national and local eHealth policies may entrench a silo mentality in eHealth so that, instead of ICTs [information and communication technologies] leading to an eHealth environment without borders and boundaries, the developing world will once again be the loser."