Increasingly the Internet's potential is being harnessed to transform healthcare delivery at the patient level

To date, the Internet has been used principally as a tool for commerce and as a cost-effective communication medium by the European healthcare industry. Increasingly however, the Internet's potential is being harnessed to transform healthcare delivery at the patient level.

In Europe, drug-buying consumers and patients seeking information have been the chief users of the Internet. About 11.2 per cent of EU Internet users bought healthcare related products online or as a result of information found online in 2003.

Trends now indicate that higher Internet usage for the purpose of providing patient healthcare is imminent. From growing e-mail use by healthcare professionals and consumer eCommerce in the drug market to rising electronic procurement by hospitals and Internet diagnosis and eHealth, the use of the Internet in active healthcare delivery is poised to soar.

At the same time, the Internet's application in passive healthcare delivery is also expected to climb. By 2008, over 120 million patients in Europe are estimated to be engaged in online healthcare research, close to 150 million in diet and fitness research, with just over 30 million Internet subscribers becoming part of online self-help groups. Appointment settings for primary and secondary healthcare providers is also set for rapid takeoff with numbers rising from about five million in 2003 to nearly 50 million in 2008.

Explaining the expanding role of the Internet in healthcare delivery, Frost & Sullivan Healthcare Research Analyst Chris Cherrington says, "Cost saving is emerging as the main driver since the Internet is a public data network that offers low cost data transfer. Increasing public use of the World Wide Web is forcing industry vendors to use websites to advertise and spread information about their products and services."

"At the same time, e-mail has become ubiquitous and is now accepted as a mainstream method of business communication. Another reason for the rapid adoption of the Internet has been that healthcare giants and pharmaceuticals companies are using eProcurement to streamline operations."

As insurance companies and governments seek to make more efficient use of limited budgets, the Internet is anticipated to gain popularity as a cost saving tool. In 2004, about 95 per cent of EU insurance companies had some form of Internet presence with many employing the Internet as a key channel to conduct transactions with healthcare providers. From a consumer perspective, the Internet is also expected to emerge as a major source of low-cost insurance.

Tight healthcare budgets are pushing governments to explore various Internet-based alternatives. In the United Kingdom, the National Health Service's (NHS's) simple, self-diagnosis service is the first operational eHealth programme in the European Union. The success of such direct, online health initiatives is expected to be replicated by other EU countries.

The Internet is expected to trigger fundamental change in many areas related to healthcare provision. For a start, it is likely to prompt greater transparency and accountability in the healthcare arena. Governments, for instance, are likely to be required to articulate policies and information about patients' rights over the Internet. This, in turn, is anticipated to provide a new platform from which public pressure groups can lobby policy makers.

Among other likely outcomes of expanded Internet usage in healthcare is that of governments tightening restrictions on the online sale of drugs and alternative therapies. Additionally, governments are expected to use the Internet to disburse items such as repeat prescriptions, particularly products such as contraceptive pills used mainly by Internet-savvy young women.

Despite its advantages, however, Internet penetration levels are likely to suffer due to the continuing scepticism of many medical professionals and Europe's ageing population. Also, with most consumers being satisfied with the current healthcare system, the need to find additional medical data or forsake traditional delivery mechanisms is not a pressing one.

Penetration levels reveal regional disparities as well. Eastern Europe lags in implementing healthcare delivery through the Internet. However, growing net access in the region and the increasing amounts of data expected to become available in non-English languages is likely to be conducive for expanded Internet use in the healthcare arena.

"A common standard for electronic patient records throughout Europe; initiatives to introduce electronic booking systems and connect primary healthcare providers, hospitals and healthcare payers through an integrated 'health supply chain'; as well as the rapid adoption of the Internet by private medical treatment facilities; are all likely to boost the relevance of the Internet in European healthcare delivery over the long term," notes Mr. Cherrington.