The Role of Tailoring in E-Health and ICT-Based Interventions in Different Contexts and Populations

Background: Tailoring In E-Health And Ict Interventions

In our global society, ICT’s enable the provision of tailored information to a vast number of people in vital areas, including the health domain (Bacigalupe, 2011). Among US adults, 81% use the Internet, and among these users, 72% report having searched for health information online over the past year (Fox & Duggan, 2013). In Europe, several countries, namely, Denmark, Germany, Greece and Portugal, have shown a steady increase in the use of the Internet as a source for health information (Kummervold & Wynn, 2012). Moreover, the use of ICTs is not limited to Western societies. According to the International Telecommunication Union, mobile-cellular penetration rates stand at 96% globally, 121% in developed countries, 90% in developing countries, 89% in Asia and the Pacific, and 69% in Africa (ITC, 2014). The latter are the regions with the strongest mobile-cellular growth, despite lower penetration rates. Global penetration of mobile phones reveals higher access to them than to water and sanitation services worldwide.