E-Health is a term used by everyone today to describe the application of information and communication technologies in the health sector. It encompasses a range of goals ranging from purely administrative to the delivery of health care. For example:
In the context of hospital care, e-Health refers to electronic systems of patient administration; laboratory and radiology information systems; electronic message systems; and telemedicine - teleconsultations, telepathology, and teledermatology, to name a few. Examples of home-based care include teleconsultations and remote control of vital signs for diabetes, asthma control, and home dialysis systems.
In primary care, eHealth can refer to the use of computer systems by general practitioners and pharmacists for patient control, medical records and electronic prescriptions.
A fundamental component of all these applications is the Electronic Health Record, which allows the sharing of necessary information between care professionals from various disciplines and medical institutions. Other important uses of e-Health are in the area of continuing medical education and public health education / education.
E-Health is an essential element of health care renewal: its application to the Nigeria health care system, through improvements in the accessibility, quality and effectiveness of the system, will result in benefits for Nigerians.
Health Nigeria has focused its priorities and efforts on addressing policy issues and challenges in integrating e-Health services into the Nigeria health care system and assessing the progress of deployment and investment in these services.
Recognizing the benefits of electronic prescription, Health Nigeria reviewed federal legislation to determine whether it should be amended to allow for prescriptions in this format.
The Department determined that Part C of the Food and Drug Regulations and Regulations under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act did not impede the process electronically. It also determined that the generation and transmission of orders electronically was possible to the extent that they met the same regulatory objectives as the written order.
