E‐healthcare: an analysis of key themes in research

Purpose – Healthcare is among the fastest‐growing sectors in both developed and emerging economies. E‐healthcare is contributing to the explosive growth within this industry by utilizing the internet and all its capabilities to support its stakeholders with information searches and communication processes. The purpose of this paper is to present the state‐of‐the‐art and to identify key themes in research on e‐healthcare. Design/methodology/approach – A review of the literature in the marketing and management of e‐healthcare was conducted to determine the major themes pertinent to e‐healthcare research as well as the commonalities and differences within these themes. Findings – Based on the literature review, the five major themes of e‐healthcare research identified are: cost savings; virtual networking; electronic medical records; source credibility and privacy concerns; and physician‐patient relationships. Originality/value – Based on these major themes, managerial implications for e‐healthcare are formulated. Suggestions are offered to facilitate healthcare service organizations' attempts to further implement and properly utilize e‐healthcare in their facilities. These propositions will also help these stakeholders develop and streamline their e‐healthcare processes already in use. E‐healthcare systems enable firms to improve efficiency, to reduce costs, and to facilitate the coordination of care across multiple facilities.