Table 2.
Descriptive statistics
| Indicator | Mean | Std. | Min. | Max. | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| eHealth legislation (sum of eHealth legislation) |
1.81 |
1.81 |
0.0 |
7.0 |
Global observatory for eHealth - ATLAS eHealth country profiles |
| eHealth legislation (OECD/EU countries, N = 29) |
3.79 |
1.66 |
1 |
7 |
|
| eHealth legislation (developing countries, N = 86) |
1.10 |
1.26 |
0 |
5 |
|
| Public actors (no. of eHealth functions) |
3.64 |
2.18 |
0.0 |
6.0 |
Global observatory for eHealth - ATLAS eHealth country profiles |
| Private actors (no. of eHealth functions) |
1.63 |
2.15 |
0.0 |
6.0 |
Global observatory for eHealth - ATLAS eHealth country profiles |
| Donors (no. of eHealth functions) |
2.60 |
2.40 |
0.0 |
6.0 |
Global observatory for eHealth - ATLAS eHealth country profiles |
| Public-private partnerships (no. of eHealth functions) |
1.25 |
1.80 |
0.0 |
6.0 |
Global observatory for eHealth - ATLAS eHealth country profiles |
| Government expenditures on health care (% total expenditures on health) |
56.63 |
18.38 |
10.50 |
87.70 |
WHO World health statistics |
| Government surplus/deficit (average from 2000–2010) |
−0.91 |
4.10 |
−11.56 |
14.36 |
World development indicators |
| Labor and credit market regulations (high values = less regulation and restriction) |
7.23 |
1.11 |
4.50 |
9.57 |
Economic freedom of the world http://www.freetheworld.com/ |
| Net official development assistance (ODA) received (% of GNI) |
5.367 |
10.16 |
−18.33 |
73.48 |
World development indicators |
| Autocracy-democracy (Polity IV score) |
4.12 |
6.30 |
−10 |
10 |
Polity IV Project http://www.systemicpeace.org/polity/polity4.htm |
| Physicians (per 10,000 inhabitants) |
15.78 |
14.207 |
0.50 |
53.50 |
WHO World health statistics |
| Population density (km2) | 197.88 | 694.89 | 2.00 | 7202.00 | World telecommunication/ICT indicators database |
Note: sum of eHealth legislation means the number of different pieces of legislation that have been enacted (Legislation on personal and health-related data: (1) To ensure the privacy of personally identifiable data; (2) To protect personally identifiable data specifically in EMR or HER. Legislation for sharing health-related data between health care staff through EMR/HER: (1) Within the same health care facility and its network of care providers, (2) With different health care entities within the country, (3) With health care entities in other countries. Legislation on Internet pharmacies: (1) Legislation that allows/prohibits Internet pharmacy operations, (2) National legislation/accreditation/certification of Internet pharmacy sites, (3) Legislation that allows/prohibits Internet pharmacy purchases from other countries). The mean value of 1.81 indicates that on average about 2 pieces of legislation have been enacted. The no. of eHealth functions is an additive index that covers the whole range of functions in which a particular actor, such as donors or PPPs, participates (ICT equipment, software, pilot projects, skills training, ongoing support, scholarships, etc.). The mean value of 3.64 for public actors indicates that on average public actors are actively implementing about four of these functions in each country.