title: The economics of eHealth and mHealth.
abstract: While mHealth has the potential to overcome traditional obstacles to the delivery of health services to the poor in lower and middle-income countries--issues related to access, quality, time, and resources--there is little evidence as to whether the expected benefits and savings can be actualized on a large scale. As a first step to developing the investment case for mHealth, this article outlines some of the key economic and financial questions that need to be answered in developing in-country eHealth investments. The proposed questions focus on the costs of eHealth infrastructure; regulatory structures that provide incentives at different levels of the health delivery system to encourage investment in, and use of, eHealth; and measuring the outcomes of successful eHealth utilization, including anticipated return on investment.
authors.affiliation: Results for Development Institute, Washington, District of Columbia 20005, USA. jschweitzer@resultsfordevelopment.org
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schweitzer
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Synowiec
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D007449:Investments / Q000458:organization & administration*; D055818:Public-Private Sector Partnerships / Q000191:economics; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration