Medical Science in the 21st century has witnessed immense advances in global health, especially through the implementation of electronic health also known as eHealth. According to research conducted by Gunther Eysenbach in 2001, eHealth is the amalgamation of information technology, public health, and health economics.
CDC describes eHealth as a broad term that comprises health education, mobile health (mHealth), telehealth, and artificial intelligence. eHealth has reduced the barriers between health professionals and their patients and has become the most economical healthcare delivery system. This system has made the delivery of health services substantially easy especially for chronic and debilitating diseases like dementia and plays a pivotal role in the lives of patients and their support workers.
Dementia is a chronic neurodegenerative disease affecting the cognitive and psychological profile of an individual. According to recent statistics, dementia is a growing public health burden with a current prevalence of 50 million patients worldwide and this is predicted to progressively rise by 2050. According to the research conducted by Bonavita and colleagues in 2020, a pandemic like the Covid 19 pandemic has been increasing the prevalence of dementia and has caused an immense burden on the healthcare systems globally. The research showed that health services were strained due to the social distancing and lockdown measures implemented around the world. At the peak of this scenario, the use of eHealth became widely predominant across the globe. Patients did not have to travel to the hospital to acquire treatment as it became available in their own domestic environments via eHealth.
For people with mild dementia and caretakers, there are several online learning eHealth platforms. These health education portals provide adequate information regarding the condition. This will help the patient and their caretakers understand what they are dealing with physically and mentally. The information is provided by various online portals such as Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s Society, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Dementia UK, Public Health England, and Public Health Scotland.
For patients with moderate to severe dementia, the use of assistive technology in the form of smart homes has become prevalent. There are gadgets and navigation systems that can track their movements and daily activities inside the house to alert them to be more cautious of their surroundings. For instance, the National Health Services (NHS) UK in association with the University of Surrey has implemented a brilliant technology that installs Wi-Fi-connected sensors, monitors, and trackers inside the house of a dementia patient, and this is known as Technology Integrated Health Management (TIHM). This system will keep track of a patient’s physical and mental well-being and will act in case of an emergency. Simple devices like electronic pill boxes, electronic memory support appliances, tracking devices, and picture touch screen phones refresh the memory of the patient and improve the cognitive and psychological well-being of the patient, their families, and caretakers.
Dementia patients can also utilize telehealth services. The transformation of face-to-face communication to video teleconferencing between health professionals and patients has increased over the past two years and has produced positive outcomes throughout the world. During these online meetings, the patient’s situation is assessed, and medications are reviewed. Additionally, simple dementia screening tests such as Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status based on Mini-Mental State Exam has been employed in several countries and has produced fruitful outcomes.
Last but not the least, mHealth or mobile health applications have also been installed to care for patients with dementia. The technology is still in the initial stages of development. However, research has shown that there are positive outcomes. For instance, according to Alzheimer Europe, an application known as Prevention of Dementia using Mobile Phone Applications (PRODEMOS) has been undergoing trials in nations like China and UK. This mobile application will help people to lead independent lives by providing them with health education about a positive lifestyle in remote areas of these countries where there is a scarcity of healthcare centres or difficulty in travelling to consult a health professional. The initial results of the trial indicate that the application is a success. Another example is the mobile application “Partner in Balance” developed by the Dutch Alzheimer’s Association to train caretakers. It provides an 8-week online course and was recorded to be a massive success.
Additionally, many electronic interventions are still in the developmental stage such as the Automated Telephone Communication System (ATCS). This system will deliver messages to the patients recorded by their GPs, monitor, and support them remotely, prescribe repeat medications, and book appointments. Another system that’s still in the works is ePrescription, which involves digitizing and dispensing medications which in turn reduces the burden on pharmacists. Finally, a system known as the Internet of Things is predicted to be the future of dementia management. It is an integrated system of medical consultation, prescriptions, and monitoring of patients and their caretakers.
eHealth has laid the foundations for easier management of dementia by integrating with the existing systems. The prime benefit of these interventions is that it has increased the morale of the patients, their families, and caretakers. Thus, eHealth in dementia will be the face of healthcare systems all over the world in the future.