The Application of Digital Media Industry to W. Scotland, N. Ireland, & the Irish Border Health Service Regions (Presentation Slides)

Abstract

Digital healthcare, that is the application of digital media communication technologies to health issues, for example, in the use of smart devices to tell patients when to take medication, or to relay medical information about concurrent health measures to centralised monitoring systems, presents digital media and health industries with unique interdisciplinary possibilities to research and promote healthy lifestyles while managing illness and health risk. Moreover, digital healthcare technology development for eHealth systems enables regional and national healthcare investment to respond to emerging health and ageing population trends highlighted in the EU task force report ‘Redesigning health in Europe for 2020’ ensuring that all EU citizens have consistent access to a high level of healthcare across the EU, and at a reasonable cost to national healthcare systems. Emerging technology enabled solutions to economies, digital healthcare, or eHealth, has the potential to bring together medical and healthcare professionals, social scientists and public health policy advocates, computational and computer scientists, and digital media platform experts to invest in helping patients and clinicians optimise health management in new resource, cost-efficient, and patient independent-living ways.

This short summary will outline and detail sources relevant to the digital healthcare typologies and emerging eHealth development potential in three main EU peripheral regions: Western Scotland, N. Ireland (but not Belfast), and the Republic of Ireland Border (or North East) region. First, current regional specific digital health or eHealth projects and relevant government policy per region will be summarised. Second, health research institute capacity and emerging digital hub companies will be regionally discussed. Third, broadband and telecommunications infrastructure development, and labour market intelligence will be outlined. Fourth, specific media articles, policy documents, web organizational and relevant project addresses, and funding sources per region will be listed. Finally, some conclusions are drawn in light of the regional information sources collated in this report.

Keywords: eHealth, Digital Health, Regional eHealth