ABSTRACT
Technological advances in medical care and increased research into health service issues have contributed to a dramatic rise in expenditure on health care in Europe. Pressures from rising demand for health care in Europe have forced many countries to examine a range of options for changing the system. A major vehicle for putting these targets into operation is the Healthy Cities movement, in which the principles of partnership, team-work and collaboration are employed in planning for health. Healthy cities philosophy is underpinned by principles contained in the 1986 Ottawa Charter. The social model of health is concerned with the conditions and contexts that shape health opportunities and illness experiences. Preventive care involves screening and diagnostic activities, and also social interventions such as immunization against specific diseases. Technologists are also service providers. Comparatively little is published on the role of technologists in telemedicine, but there are lots of exhortations for technologists to work more closely with users.
