e-Health in Latin America and the Caribbean: progress and challenges

Abstract

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are tools that can be used to bridge gaps and provide citizens with opportunities, such as broader access to quality health care.

This book describes population trends that underscore the need to incorporate ICTs more decisively into health care in the region and describes, from a development perspective, the promise that e-Health holds for meeting health-care challenges through expanding access to quality health care. It also examines the progress and challenges in the area of e-Health and telemedicine in 12 Latin American countries and 8 countries from the Caribbean sub-region.

The concluding chapter presents thoughts and proposals that the authors hope will be useful in preparing the new Regional Action Plan for the Information Society, eLAC 2015, as well as for authorities and professionals from the health-care sector working daily to provide healthier lives for their countries’ populations.

The book is an outgrowth of the workshop “Regional e-Health and Telemedicine Goals and Policy Follow-up”, held in Santiago, Chile on 30 November and 1 December 2009. It has been prepared in the framework of the programme Alliance for the Information Society, phase 2 (@LIS2), Inclusive Political Dialogue and Exchange of Experiences, carried out jointly by ECLAC and the European Union.