DEMOCRATISING HEALTHCARE: THE ROLE OF eHEALTH TECHNOLOGIES IN DRIVING PATIENT PARTICIPATION

Digital technologies are changing how we practice and experience healthcare. This review focusses on the role of eHealth technologies in facilitating patient participation within the healthcare process. The central claim of this paper is that interactive, web-based technologies allow individuals to become more active participants in the healthcare process, thereby opening up new perspectives and opportunities for improving healthcare. By drawing on findings from recent research, the review seeks to highlight how the increasing availability of health information and individuals’ ability to easily connect to others around the globe can facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration between the general public, patients, healthcare professionals, and researchers. Acknowledging some of the potential challenges and pitfalls further shows how these new technologies, if used appropriately, can promote a new form of patient participation that goes beyond the individual level and as such, constitutes an invaluable resource for healthcare research and practice.