The health industry has been transformed by the use of technology and the web to transmit information to patients. A February 2004 report by Harris Interactive calculated that 111 million American adults have looked for health information on the Internet, compared to 109 million in 2003 and 110 million in 2002. The majority of the users are seeking information rather than managing their health. But inititives such as the NHS Direct Online are looking for ways to encourage patients to become more proactive in their own health management.

e-health is an emerging field in the intersection of medical informatics, public health and business, referring to health services and information delivered or enhanced through the Internet and related technologies. In a broader sense, the term characterizes not only a technical development, but also a state-of-mind, a way of thinking, an attitude, and a commitment for networked, global thinking, to improve health care locally, regionally, and worldwide by using information and communication technology. - 2001 definition published in the article What is e-health? J Med Internet Res 2001;3(2):e20

The eHealth Initiative
eHealth Code of Ethics
UK eHealth Association
Centre for Global e-Heath Innovation
International e-Health Association
Journal of Medical Internet Research

Newspaper articles

Getting health connected
Emergency workers join the blog set
Modern medicine
The last picture show
What is e-health?