1 Workshop Theme

We are all living longer with average life expectancy increasing across the globe [1]. However, chronic conditions such as heart disease, strokes and cancer, coupled with an increasing global obesity problem still cause a growing number of premature deaths [1]. These conditions combined with an aging population cause a huge strain on healthcare provision.

There are two approaches to reduce the burden on healthcare services – encouraging healthy lifestyles through increased knowledge, and improving people’s ability to affect the quality of care for those living with long-term conditions and age related illnesses. Although these issues appear to be separate, they have an effect on each other. For example, if someone has a healthier lifestyle they are less likely to develop certain chronic conditions. Furthermore, if someone is used to maintaining a healthy lifestyle then they are more likely to actively engage with their healthcare providers. We have now reached a critical point in healthcare - both healthcare professionals and patients alike recognize the potential for technology to provide them with personalized healthcare and support [2]. The WHO has recognized the importance of using such technology by encouraging investment and forming an internal eHealth division which focuses on promoting and strengthening the use of technology in health [3].

eHealth can be used in a diverse range of areas to promote access, improve efficiency and enhance quality within healthcare [4]. Key goals in this field are to facilitate personalized health information to promote self-management, to identify and act upon support needs, to improve communication between patients and healthcare workers, to assist with the use of medicine and assistive technology and inform decision-making between healthcare workers [5]. Additionally, any health technology has to be designed to be usable, efficient, effective and accepted by the healthcare community. This workshop aims to promote discussion between multidisciplinary researchers on novel, innovative and connective approaches within eHealth, improving engagement and patient outcomes.

2 Topics

This workshop is aimed at multidisciplinary researchers and healthcare professionals from all areas interested in novel approaches to interactivity in technology for healthy living, healthcare and eHealth. The areas of interest are, but not limited to:

  • Usability of eHealth technologies

  • Technologies to support health education, promotion and advice, and healthy independent living

  • Personal health technologies or personalized assistance

  • Social care

  • Novel approaches to health technologies

  • Tailored decision support (for patients and practitioners)

  • Mobile and wearable healthcare systems for eHealth

  • Personalization in online support for health and wellbeing

3 Outcomes

This workshop aims to promote discussions within the community around the future of healthy living and healthcare. We are aiming to produce a special issue of a journal, with accepted authors potentially being invited to write extended versions of their papers.