Editorial março 01, 2023 março 01, 2023

Social media as a tool against eye cancer

DOI: 10.37039/1982.8551.20230009

The constant evolution of technology is changing the way we live. With the advent of highly developed and robust telecommunication networks, we can instantly communicate and send high-definition images and videos across the globe. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), almost 85% of the world’s population is covered by a 4G network,⁽⁾ and phones have become considerably more affordable. These information and communication technologies can play a significant role in providing cost-effective and high-quality dissemination of health information and medical care. Moreover, the way people search for health information has also changed. Nowadays, three out of four Americans are estimated to have turned to internet sources for medical information, with similar rates among Europeans.^(–)

This environment is particularly fertile for the advance of telemedicine, defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “the delivery of health care services, where distance is a critical factor, by all health care professionals using information and communication technologies for the exchange of valid information for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease and injuries, research and evaluation.”⁽⁾ The development of these technologies and their application in telemedicine were already on their way, but the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic accelerated the process.

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