Abstract
The use of information and communication technologies for health (eHealth) has great potential to provide global impact. It increases the involvement of healthcare consumers and improves knowledge dissemination to and from the health workforce. Additionally, it may contribute to incorporating evidence-based results to promote more efficient, safer, and more accessible healthcare, improving outcomes while reducing costs. Considering this background, the present chapter emphasizes contemporary initiatives such as D.Efficiency and Ask Dr. Giggles, which are focused on global health initiatives that employ communication and information technologies and social innovation, in addition to prioritizing the wellbeing of individuals in society. Therefore, it is hoped that this chapter provides further understanding of the phenomenon of social innovation in health, which has the potential to be used by large numbers of people, enhance equity in access to qualified information, and provide opportunities to address other social determinants of health.
TopBackground
Global health is more than just a definition of objectives. It is a combination of scholarship, research, and practice, an opportunity to create a healthy environment so that all humans can realize their potential with dignity and equality (Koplan et al., 2009; United Nations [UN], 2015).
First, the approach puts people at the centre of health care across the entire planet. Second, global health refers to problems, not their locations. It includes the biggest health threats, which disregard national borders, having multiple determinants, and require complex solutions (Koplan et al., 2009; Beaglehole & Bonita, 2010).
From this perspective, it is indispensable to recognize both the overlap and distinctions among global health, international health, and public health (Table 1), in order to propose global strategies to solve health problems, as agreed by a multidisciplinary and international panel (Koplan et al., 2009).
Table 1.
Comparison of global, international, and public health
| Global Health | International Health | Public Health |
| Geographical reach | Focuses on issues that directly or indirectly affect health but that can transcend national boundaries | Focuses on health issues of countries other than one’s own, especially those of low-income and middle-income | Focuses on issues that affect the health of the population of a particular community or country |
| Level of cooperation | Development and implementation of solutions often requires global cooperation | Development and implementation of solutions usually requires binational cooperation | Development and implementation of solutions does not usually require global cooperation |
| Individuals or populations | Embraces both prevention in populations and clinical care of individuals | Embraces both prevention in populations and clinical care of individuals | Mainly focused on prevention programmes for populations |
| Access to health | Health equity among nations and for all people is a major objective | Seeks to help people of other nations | Health equity within a nation or community is a major objective |
| Range of disciplines | Highly interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary within and beyond health sciences | Embraces a few disciplines but does not emphasise multidisciplinarity | Encourages multidisciplinary approaches, particularly within health sciences and with social sciences |
Source: (Koplan et al., 2009)
Key Terms in this Chapter
Disability: The international classification of functioning (ICF) adopted as the conceptual framework for this chapter on disability, understands functioning and disability as a dynamic interaction between health conditions and contextual factors, both personal and environmental.
Social Network: A network of social interactions and personal relationships. A dedicated website or other application that enables users to communicate with each other by posting information, comments, messages, images, etc.
Global Health: Area of study, research, and practice that places a priority on improving health for all people worldwide, with dignity and equity, emphasizing interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary collaboration.
Digital Social Innovation: Development and diffusion of novel collaborative solutions to social needs and problems using digital technologies to maximize benefits.
Health Literacy: The degree to which an individual has the capacity to obtain, communicate, process, and understand basic health information and services to make appropriate health decisions.
Social Innovation: Development and implementation of effective solutions to social and environmental issues that are challenging and often systemic in support of social progress.
Social Technology: A process of innovation conducted collectively and participatory, by actors interested in building that desirable scenario.
Plain Language: Communication your audience can understand the first time they read or hear it.