Abstract

Demographic trends indicate rapidly aging population throughout the world, particularly in Europe. In many societies the proportion of elderly population larger than 60 by 2050 is expected to double from 11%-22%.The elderly patients suffering from chronic diseases, are at the heart of crisis in healthcare costs that is beginning to occupy the policy discussions of most governments in the industrialized world. A recent report from the United Nations expects that the world’s population will grow to approximately nine billion people by 2050, and that one in four will be over 60. In addition to that, the management of chronic diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease & mental health diseases have proven to be one of the great challenges for modern clinicians. For example, over 260 million people across the globe suffer from anxiety disorders; whether it is panic disorder, post- traumatic stress or social anxiety. One of these most troubling mental health diseases is the Bipolar Disorder, formly known as manic depression.

Healthcare providers have long realized that there is a connection between mental and physical health. Hence, there is drastic need for technology to cope with the health issues that are expected to arise. For example in Japan, more than 20% are elderly. One of the emerging technologies that are capturing popularity is telemedicine. Which can cut down health care costs drastically. The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) defines “telemedicine” as the use of medical & health care information exchanged remotely via electronic communications to improve patient’s health.