<s>
Connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
is	O
a	O
socio-technical	O
model	O
for	O
healthcare	O
management	O
and	O
delivery	O
by	O
using	O
technology	O
to	O
provide	O
healthcare	O
services	O
remotely	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
,	O
also	O
known	O
as	O
technology	O
enabled	O
care	O
(	O
TEC	O
)	O
aims	O
to	O
maximize	O
healthcare	O
resources	O
and	O
provide	O
increased	O
,	O
flexible	O
opportunities	O
for	O
consumers	O
to	O
engage	O
with	O
clinicians	O
and	O
better	O
self-manage	O
their	O
care	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
encompasses	O
programs	O
in	O
telehealth	O
,	O
remote	O
care	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
home	O
care	O
)	O
and	O
disease	O
and	O
lifestyle	O
management	O
,	O
often	O
leverages	O
existing	O
technologies	O
such	O
as	O
connected	O
devices	O
using	O
cellular	O
networks	O
and	O
is	O
associated	O
with	O
efforts	O
to	O
improve	O
chronic	O
care	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
calls	O
for	O
new	O
techniques	O
to	O
guide	O
Connected	B-Application
Health	I-Application
solutions	O
such	O
as	O
"	O
design	O
thinking	O
"	O
to	O
support	O
software	O
developers	O
in	O
clearly	O
identifying	O
healthcare	O
requirements	O
,	O
and	O
extend	O
and	O
enrich	O
traditional	O
software	O
requirements	O
gathering	O
techniques	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
United	O
States	O
and	O
European	O
Union	O
are	O
two	O
dominant	O
markets	O
for	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
in	O
home	O
care	O
service	O
,	O
in	O
part	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
high	O
availability	O
of	O
telephone	O
and	O
Internet	O
service	O
as	O
compared	O
to	O
other	O
parts	O
of	O
the	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Proponents	O
of	O
connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
believe	O
that	O
technology	O
can	O
transform	O
healthcare	O
delivery	O
and	O
address	O
inefficiencies	O
especially	O
in	O
the	O
area	O
of	O
work	O
flow	O
management	O
,	O
chronic	O
disease	O
management	O
and	O
patient	O
compliance	O
of	O
the	O
US	O
and	O
global	O
healthcare	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
has	O
its	O
roots	O
in	O
telemedicine	B-Application
,	O
and	O
its	O
more	O
recent	O
relative	O
,	O
telehealth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
telemedicine	B-Application
programs	O
were	O
primarily	O
undertaken	O
to	O
address	O
healthcare	O
access	O
and/or	O
provider	O
shortages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
is	O
distinguished	O
from	O
telemedicine	B-Application
by	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
is	O
the	O
"	O
umbrella	O
term	O
arrived	O
to	O
lessen	O
the	O
confusion	O
over	O
the	O
definitions	O
of	O
telemedicine	B-Application
,	O
telehealth	O
and	O
mhealth	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
considered	O
as	O
the	O
new	O
lexicon	O
for	O
the	O
term	O
telemedicine	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
technology	O
view	O
of	O
connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
focuses	O
more	O
on	O
the	O
connection	O
methods	O
between	O
clients	O
and	O
the	O
health	O
care	O
professional	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
alternative	O
view	O
is	O
that	O
of	O
a	O
socio-technical	O
perspective	O
in	O
which	O
connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
is	O
considered	O
as	O
a	O
combination	O
of	O
people	O
,	O
processes	O
and	O
technology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2015	O
Connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
was	O
defined	O
as	O
patient-centred	O
care	O
resulting	O
from	O
process-driven	O
health	O
care	O
delivery	O
undertaken	O
by	O
health	O
care	O
professionals	O
,	O
patients	O
and/or	O
carer	O
who	O
are	O
supported	O
by	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
technology	O
(	O
software	O
and/or	O
hardware	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
"	O
core	O
platforms	O
"	O
are	O
emphasized	O
in	O
connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
,	O
self-care	O
and	O
remote	O
care	O
,	O
with	O
programs	O
primarily	O
focused	O
on	O
monitoring	O
and	O
feedback	O
for	O
the	O
chronically	O
ill	O
,	O
elderly	O
,	O
and	O
those	O
patients	O
located	O
at	O
an	O
untenable	O
distance	O
from	O
primary	O
or	O
specialty	O
providers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Programs	O
designed	O
to	O
improve	O
patient-provider	O
communication	O
within	O
an	O
individual	O
medical	O
practice	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
email	O
to	O
communicate	O
with	O
patients	O
between	O
office	O
visits	O
also	O
fall	O
within	O
the	O
purview	O
of	O
connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
common	O
types	O
of	O
connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
programs	O
in	O
operation	O
today	O
include	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Center	O
for	O
Connected	B-Application
Health	I-Application
is	O
implementing	O
a	O
range	O
of	O
programs	O
in	O
high-risk	O
,	O
chronic	O
and	O
remotely	O
located	O
populations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Inherent	O
in	O
the	O
concept	O
of	O
connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
is	O
flexibility	O
in	O
terms	O
of	O
technological	O
approaches	O
to	O
care	O
delivery	O
and	O
specific	O
program	O
objectives	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Digital	O
pen	O
technology	O
,	O
global	O
positioning	O
,	O
videoconferencing	O
and	O
environmental	O
sensors	O
are	O
all	O
playing	O
a	O
role	O
in	O
connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Proponents	O
of	O
Connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
view	O
it	O
as	O
a	O
critical	O
component	O
of	O
change	O
in	O
human	O
healthcare	O
and	O
envision	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
experts	O
such	O
as	O
Joseph	O
C	O
.	O
Kvedar	O
,	O
believe	O
that	O
consumer	O
engagement	O
in	O
healthcare	O
is	O
on	O
its	O
way	O
to	O
becoming	O
a	O
major	O
force	O
for	O
change	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
summary	O
,	O
connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
has	O
arisen	O
from	O
:	O
1	O
)	O
a	O
desire	O
on	O
the	O
part	O
of	O
individual	O
physicians	O
and	O
healthcare	O
organizations	O
to	O
provide	O
better	O
access	O
,	O
quality	O
and	O
efficiency	O
of	O
care	O
2	O
)	O
dynamics	O
of	O
the	O
healthcare	O
economy	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
rising	O
costs	O
and	O
changing	O
demographics	O
)	O
3	O
)	O
consumerism	O
in	O
health	O
care	O
and	O
a	O
drive	O
towards	O
patient	O
centric	O
healthcare	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
is	O
yet	O
emerging	O
,	O
there	O
is	O
evidence	O
of	O
its	O
benefit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
in	O
a	O
program	O
being	O
implemented	O
by	O
the	O
Center	O
for	O
Connected	B-Application
Health	I-Application
and	O
Partners	O
Home	O
Care	O
,	O
over	O
500	O
heart	O
failure	O
patients	O
have	O
now	O
been	O
monitored	O
remotely	O
through	O
the	O
collection	O
of	O
vital	O
signs	O
,	O
including	O
heart	O
rate	O
,	O
blood	O
pressure	O
and	O
weight	O
,	O
using	O
simple	O
devices	O
in	O
the	O
patient	O
's	O
home	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
initiative	O
at	O
the	O
Center	O
for	O
Connected	B-Application
Health	I-Application
uses	O
cellular	O
telephone	O
technology	O
and	O
a	O
"	O
smart	O
"	O
pill	O
bottle	O
to	O
detect	O
when	O
a	O
patient	O
has	O
not	O
taken	O
their	O
scheduled	O
medication	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
appears	O
that	O
connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
programs	O
are	O
operated	O
and	O
funded	O
primarily	O
by	O
home	O
care	O
agencies	O
and	O
large	O
healthcare	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
insurers	O
and	O
employers	O
are	O
increasingly	O
interested	O
in	O
connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
for	O
its	O
potential	O
to	O
reduce	O
direct	O
and	O
indirect	O
healthcare	O
costs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2007	O
,	O
EMC	O
Corporation	O
launched	O
the	O
first	O
employer-sponsored	O
connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
program	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
beta	O
phase	O
of	O
implementation	O
,	O
aimed	O
at	O
improving	O
outcomes	O
and	O
cost	O
of	O
care	O
for	O
patients	O
with	O
high	O
blood	O
pressure	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Government	O
agencies	O
involved	O
in	O
connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
include	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Centers	O
for	O
Medicare	O
&	O
Medicaid	O
Services	O
(	O
CMS	O
)	O
,	O
to	O
the	O
extent	O
that	O
Medicaid	O
reimburses	O
for	O
telemedicine	B-Application
programs	O
,	O
at	O
the	O
state	O
's	O
option	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
the	O
CMS	O
Web	O
site	O
,	O
at	O
least	O
18	O
states	O
are	O
allowing	O
reimbursement	O
for	O
services	O
provided	O
via	O
telemedicine	B-Application
for	O
reasons	O
that	O
include	O
improved	O
access	O
to	O
specialists	O
for	O
rural	O
communities	O
and	O
reduced	O
transportation	O
costs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Office	O
of	O
the	O
National	O
Coordinator	O
for	O
Health	O
Information	O
Technology	O
(	O
ONC	O
)	O
is	O
charged	O
with	O
creating	O
an	O
interoperable	O
health	O
information	O
technology	O
infrastructure	O
for	O
the	O
nation	O
,	O
primarily	O
defined	O
as	O
an	O
electronic	B-Application
health	I-Application
records	I-Application
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PHRs	O
intersect	O
with	O
connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
in	O
that	O
they	O
attempt	O
to	O
increase	O
the	O
involvement	O
of	O
healthcare	O
consumers	O
in	O
their	O
care	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
contrast	O
,	O
electronic	B-Application
medical	I-Application
records	I-Application
(	O
EMRs	O
)	O
(	O
see	O
electronic	B-Application
medical	I-Application
record	I-Application
)	O
are	O
digital	O
medical	O
records	O
or	O
medical	O
records	O
systems	O
maintained	O
by	O
hospitals	O
or	O
medical	O
practices	O
and	O
are	O
not	O
part	O
of	O
connected	B-Application
health	I-Application
delivery	O
.	O
</s>
