What is Virtual Networks

One of the domains where ICTs’ impact on healthcare and social services can be assessed is through the presence of healthcare interactions in virtual social networks, blogs, and portals. The emerging concept of e-health is covering part of this new phenomena, and the task is to make a clear statement of the problem: what are the relevant dimensions and the impacts of new technologies and practice in health and social services, and how this is changing the present business model in these industries? The present chapter deals with three main issues. The first is the Concept of E-health. The second issue is related to the Healthcare online social networks. In this domain, the authors consider that it is important to distinguish different types of networks, taking into consideration their aim, since they will have different implications both for business as usual and for strategic purposes of different healthcare services’ providers. Finally, the authors assess the ICTs’ impact on healthcare in the domain of e-business. By integrating these different concepts, they demonstrate how ICTs directed to healthcare are changing the underlying structure of healthcare businesses, supplying new business models, and becoming a driver for change and productivity gains, while contributing to infrastructure and skill development to healthcare. These changes are posing interesting strategic challenges to the healthcare sector that is worthwhile to consider and equate in light of the conditions required for success.