LONDON, July 5 /PRNewswire/ --     The growth of Internet applications in healthcare has been rapid. A
growing number of patients are becoming increasingly involved in the
healthcare service they receive. These 'power patients' possess
characteristics that distinguish them from traditional patients and are an
important factor in driving the use of the Internet in healthcare.

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the latest analysis of the Role of the Internet in Healthcare, send an e-mail
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"Power patients are a growing share of the population and healthcare
organisations will need to meet their needs," notes Frost & Sullivan
(http://healthcareIT.frost.com) Industry Analyst Konstantinos Nikolopoulos.
"Free choice of doctors, control over treatments received, access to quality
information about their care and extremely high levels of customer service
are some of the expectations of power patients."

Besides, over the years, healthcare organisations have had to adapt to
numerous changes, from advances in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to
the emergence of concepts such as managed care and telemedicine. The e-Health
model represents another such change with far-reaching implications for
healthcare organisations. In such a scenario, the Internet's capability to
empower patients, support information exchange and thus result in new
operational strategies, business and service delivery models can be very
appealing although quite challenging.

Moreover, public health policies and regulations greatly influence the
way in which healthcare organisations can use the Internet. For instance,
uncertainty over privacy and security regulations regarding the use of
electronic health information can deter organisations from sharing health
records or administrative and financial information across the Internet.

"The transition to electronic healthcare and the use of the Internet to
exchange health information raises serious security concerns," explains
Nikolopoulos. "While the perception of the lack of security is inhibiting the
use of the Internet for sharing clinical information, various technologies
and procedures are being developed to deal with these security problems."

The European Union is already enforcing strict medical data security
standards and the North American market is also demanding improved security
and confidentiality in healthcare transactions with the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

In this scenario, all stakeholders will need to realise that in matters
concerning security, privacy and confidentiality, ensuring 100 per cent
absolute security and confidentiality is impossible. Instead, maintaining a
good balance between actual or realistic needs, risks, costs and potential
losses (including the impact on reputation), is essential. Until there is
widespread consensus on such issues, security concerns will continue to
inhibit the use of the Internet in healthcare.

The Role of the Internet in Healthcare is part of the Healthcare & Life
Sciences IT Growth Partnership Service, which also includes research on
patient data safety in the European healthcare IT markets, the computerised
physician order entry systems market, the electronic medical records market
and the hospital information systems market in Europe. All research included
in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends
that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market
participants. Interviews with the press are available.

Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering
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that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, and the investment
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http://www.frost.com.

The Role of the Internet in Healthcare

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    Radhika Menon Theodore
    Corporate Communications - Europe
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