Healthcare is an information business with expanding use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). Current ICT tools are immature, but a brighter future looms.

The use of social media has become commonplace in society. Consequently, many people living with chronic conditions are turning to social media applications to support self-management.

BACKGROUND: Widespread diffusion of mobile phone and Web 2.0 technologies make them potentially useful tools for promoting health and tackling public health issues, such as the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity.

BACKGROUND: Internet and mobile health (mHealth) apps hold promise for expanding the reach of evidence-based health interventions. Research in this area is rapidly expanding. However, these studies may experience problems with recruitment and retention.

BACKGROUND: Overweight, obesity and excess gestational weight gain (GWG) are associated with negative health outcomes for mother and child in pregnancy and across the life course. Interventions promoting GWG within guidelines report mixed results.

Patient-generated health data are coming into broader use across the health care spectrum and hold great promise as a means to improve care and health outcomes.

People across the globe use social media to connect with one another, stay in touch with friends and family, and exchange information.

eHealth, mHealth and "Web 2.0" social media strategies can effectively reach and engage key populations in HIV prevention across the testing, treatment, and care continuum.

The way that people communicate, consume media and seek and receive information is changing. Forty per cent of the world's population now has an internet connection, the average global social media penetration is 39% and 1·5 billion people have internet access via mobile phone.