The Internet and Health in Brazil

Abstract

New information and communication technologies are increasingly present in our daily lives. Change occurred very fast. The sensation is that we live in another world. This new digital reality is where all or almost all economic, social, political, and cultural activities develop. They can be everywhere at the same time in people’s everyday lives. However, digital exclusion and privacy on the Internet are some of the challenges that compromise the initial design of new information and communication technologies as universal, free, and secure by their very nature. In the field of health, the presence of the Internet transcends the technological realm. It is an emerging field characterized by the intersection of different spheres, practices, and knowledge (such as medical informatics), public health, and business. It can be considered a state of mind, a way of thinking, and an attitude that can improve health care. This chapter looks at where Brazil stands in this process, especially in the health field. It also presents the parts in which this book is divided. New information and communication technologies are increasingly present in our daily lives. In recent years, they have converged into a single place: the modern-day cell phone. Originally intended only for conversation between two people, this device has gradually acquired several additional functionalities. We can send and receive messages by email, install a communication application such as WhatsApp to send text messages and images and even talk to another person anywhere in the world for free, take pictures and make videos, and then send them to another person anywhere in the world at no additional cost. We can also listen to music and watch a movie. Alarms can be set to wake us up in the morning and an agenda used to schedule and remind us about appointments. With the help of a search engine, we can visit a library or search for a school. If we get lost in a city, we will be able to A. Pereira Neto (*) National School of Public Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil M. B. Flynn Department of Political Science and International Studies & Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, USA e-mail: [email protected]