This refers to the use of mobile phones and technology to facilitate a healthier lifestyle, promote health, wellbeing, self care and monitoring. This might include, for example, mobile phone applications, education and remote monitoring of things like blood pressure.

This refers to information management and can include electronic patient health records (EPHR) that facilitate the secure exchange of data for and about service users/patients. An example of this might be the software patient access (Patient Access, 2019).

These are accessories or clothing that can be worn. They can help facilitate personalised care, improve health and wellbeing; e.g. monitoring activity levels or ‘steps’ with a digital watch.

This encompasses a wide range of technology that facilitates the exchange of data between people; delivering or providing information using websites or communication between a nurse and a patient or cognitive behavioural counselling via the internet e.g. beating the blues, for depression.

This involves communication between a service user/patient and a doctor; e.g. remote consultations with a general practitioner or pharmacist.

These terms are often confused. Social media is the use of video, audio and content that exists within online social networks. Online social networks are the platforms that we use to interact with social media, communities and individuals. For example, a ‘network’ is Facebook and our connections within it and the content we share are the ‘media’.

This term refers to the use of computer technology to make decisions and undertake tasks to improve efficiency, productivity and performance; e.g. facial recognition for security or speech recognition for computers or home speakers.

This is the use of ‘gaming’ technology and principles to make activity fun, improve engagement and motivation. In its simplest form, gaming technology (such as Nintendo Wii) can be used with people who have dementia to provide a sensory, social experience, promote physical activity and cognitive stimulation.

This refers to the use of 3-dimensional headsets or software on the internet that represents a computer generated reality and that the user can interact with in a safe environment. This can help people to learn skills and experience environments before going into the ‘real world’. VR is being used successfully in the treatment of a range of psychiatric conditions such as the fear of heights or self-confidence issues (Atherton et al., 2016; Freeman et al., 2018).

This refers to the use of robots to complete or assist with tasks. For example, robots are being used in surgery to reduce the need for large surgical cuts, reduce risk and improve recovery time after having had surgery.