Welcome to the RCN eHealth web pages

What is eHealth?

We use the term 'eHealth' to mean all applications of information communication technology (ICT) which relate to health care - for example, telemedicine, telecare, decision support systems, electronic patient records, and many more.

eHealth is not just about computers. It is about finding, using, recording, managing, and transmitting information to support health care, in particular to make decisions about patient care. Computers (and other ICT devices) are merely the technology that enables this to happen.

RCN eHealth publications

The Royal College of Nursing has published a series of eHealth publications to ensure nursing staff are up-to-date about eHealth. The booklets provide guidance on various aspects of eHealth, addressing many of the key questions nurses have about recent developments. As well as providing an overview of eHealth and how technology can help to revolutionise modern care, the booklets also discuss some of the more challenging topics surrounding eHealth, such as data protection. View the publications on the resources web page.

A new publication launched in April 2011 called Making nursing visible describes the value of ensuring that nursing concepts can be captured within electronic clinical records in order to make nursing visible and valued. Read the guidance document.

RCN eHealth survey

The 2010 eHealth survey was commissioned to explore knowledge and understanding of eHealth among nursing staff. The report includes their views on electronic patient records (EPRs), social networking, training in eHealth, computer access, IT support, supporting patients to use IT and telehealth. Awareness of EPRs is very high and attitudes generally favourable. However knowledge and awareness of telehealth is lower, but most respondents are keen to learn more about how telehealth can support them in practice. The RCN has launched a telehealth elearning resource for members to help meet this need.

The eight recommendations from the eHealth survey include the need for continued communication, education and training about electronic patient records and telehealth developments, promotion of the link between EPRs and quality of care and clinical decision making, and encouragement for employers to ensure that they have clear policies in place and provide adequate equipment to minimise IT security breaches and that all staff are aware of their responsibilities about confidentiality of patient information.   The full report is now available to download (PDF 2048KB).