Ehealth Tool Analysis

Introduction
In the information age when consumers have access to a plethora of data via the technology they carry around in their pockets, it only makes sense that health information technology has found its way onto smartphones. There are general apps designed to promote holistic wellness and specialized apps to track weight loss, fitness, medication, sleep, and meditation. These various programs are referred to as “ehealth tools,” and serve the purpose of engaging patients in their own healthcare by providing information and resources to meet their personal health goals (HealthIT.gov). Since the majority of factors that affect patient health occur outside of a medical environment, ehealth tools allow patients to become more accountable and aware of their health. This is an overall improvement in moving toward patient-centered care. Before ehealth tools, patients
Ehealth tools have been particularly helpful in the area of substance abuse; physicians use rehabilitation apps to stay in contact with patients and increase care as needed, rather than cycling through in-patient rehabilitation programs and immediate relapses. A physician and previous senator at Lifecore Recovery found that communication reduced emergency room visits due to substance abuse by 87%, hospitalization by 92%, and overall reduced the cost of substance abuse healthcare by 80% (Gruessner 2015). This is an example of an extremely useful use of ehealth tools. In order for tools to be helpful, they must be relevant, engaging, and easy to use. This requires some coordination with app-makers and physicians to design a quality piece of software and then recommend it and explain it to the target patient. Physicians then follow up with patients digitally or during the next visit to verify that the patient has been using it correctly and that it has been