title: Connected health and integrated care: Toward new models for chronic disease management.
abstract: The increasingly aging population in Europe and worldwide brings up the need for the restructuring of healthcare. Technological advancements in electronic health can be a driving force for new health management models, especially in chronic care. In a patient-centered e-health management model, communication and coordination between patient, healthcare professionals in primary care and hospitals can be facilitated, and medical decisions can be made timely and easily communicated. Bringing the right information to the right person at the right time is what connected health aims at, and this may set the basis for the investigation and deployment of the integrated care models. In this framework, an overview of the main technological axes and challenges around connected health technologies in chronic disease management are presented and discussed. A central concept is personal health system for the patient/citizen and three main application areas are identified. The connected health ecosystem is making progress, already shows benefits in (a) new biosensors, (b) data management, (c) data analytics, integration and feedback. Examples are illustrated in each case, while open issues and challenges for further research and development are pinpointed.
authors.affiliation: Lab of Medical Informatics, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece; Institute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research & Technology Hellas, Greece. Electronic address: ioannach@auth.gr.
authors.forename: Ioanna G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Chouvarda
authors.affiliation: Unit of Reproductive Endocrinology, 1st Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitrios G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Goulis
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National and Capodestrian University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lambrinoudaki
authors.affiliation: Lab of Medical Informatics, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece; Institute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research & Technology Hellas, Greece.
authors.forename: Nicos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maglaveras
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000628:therapy*; D003142:Communication; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D019468:Disease Management; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D011320:Primary Health Care
keywords: Connected health; Electronic health; Integrated care; Personal health system