ABSTRACT

Nowadays, the majority of industrialized nations are facing significant complications regarding

the quality and cost of various healthcare and well-being services. These difficulties will exacerbate

even more due to an increasing aging population, which translates into a multitude of chronic dis-

eases and tremendous demand for various healthcare services. As a result, the cost of the healthcare

sector might not be sustainable and therefore industrialized countries need to find and plan policies

and strategies to use the limited economical resources more efficiently and effectively. This need

for sustainable healthcare systems translates into a range of challenges in science and technology,

which if solved, ultimately could benefit our global society and economy. In particular, the exploita-

tion of information and communication technology for implementing autonomous and pro-active

healthcare services will be extremely beneficial.