Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Electronic health indicators in the selected countries: Are these indicators the best?

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

. Somaye Afshari
. Elahe Khorasani
. Mohammad Hossein Yarmohammadian 1
. Golrokh Atighechian 2
. Mohsen Ghaffari Darab

1 Health Management and Economic Research Centre, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan

2 Department of Health in Disaster and Emergency, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract
Background: Many changes have been made in different sciences by developing and advancing
information and communication technology in last two decades. E‑health is a very broad term that
includes many different activities related to the use of electronic devices, software as well as hardware
in health organizations. Aims: The aim of this study is comparing electronic health indicators in the
selected countries and discussion on the best indicators. Settings and Design: This study has
chosen 12 countries randomly based on the regional division of the WHO. The relevant numbers
of health indicators and general indicators and information technology indicators are extracted
of these countries. We use data from the Bitarf’s comparative study, which is conducted by the
Iranian Supreme Council of Information Technology in 2007. Materials and Methods: By using
Pearson correlation test, the relations between health general indicators and IT indicators are
studied. Statistical Analysis Used: Data was analyzed based on the research objectives using
SPSS software and in accordance with research questions Pearson correlation test were used.
Results: The findings show that there is a positive relation between indicators related to IT and
“Total per capita health, healthy life expectancy, percent literacy”. Furthermore, there is a mutual
relation between IT indicators and “mortality indicator”. Conclusion: This study showed differences
between selective indicators among different countries. The modern world, with its technological
advances, is not powerless in the face of these geographic and health disparity challenges.
Researchers must not rely on the available indicators. They must consider indicators like e‑business
companies, electronic data internet, medical supplies, health electronic record, health information
system, etc., In future, continuous studies in this field, to provide the exact and regular reports of
amount of using of these indicators through different countries must be necessary.

Keywords

E‑health indicators
e‑health
information technology
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Journal of Education and Health Promotion
Volume 3, Issue 7
July 2013
Pages 1-5

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