Master Thesis Computer Science Thesis no: MCS-2008:48 Jan 2009 January 2009 Citizen Access to eHealth Services in County of Blekinge Farrukh Sahar, Muhammad Asim Department of Interaction and System Design School of Engineering Blekinge Institute of Technology Box 520 SE – 372 25 Ronneby This thesis is submitted to the Department of Interaction and System Design, School of Engineering at Blekinge Institute of Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Computer Science. The thesis is equivalent to 20 weeks of full time studies. Contact Information: Author(s): Farrukh Sahar Address: Folkparksvagen 19:17, 372 40 Ronneby, Sweden E-mail:
[email protected] Muhammad Asim Address: Folkparksvagen 19:17, 372 40 Ronneby, Sweden E-mail:
[email protected] University advisor(s): Hans Kyhlbäck Department of Interaction and System Design Department of Internet : www.bth.se/tek Interaction and System Design Phone : +46 457 38 50 00 Blekinge Institute of Technology Fax : + 46 457 102 45 ii Box 520 SE – 372 25 Ronneby Sweden ABSTRACT In the presence of challenges arise from ageing populations, increasing incidence of chronic diseases, high health care cost, rapid changes in technological equipment and medical knowledge, eHealth offers tremendous abilities to develop and deliver health care services to the end user that is both seamless and integrated according to the needs and requirements of individuals. Even though the prospective of eHealth is accepted in academia as well as among policy-makers, health care planners and health care practitioners, the implementation of its applications has appeared to be difficult then expectations.