Ehealth is one of the most rapidly growing areas in health today. Limited systematic research has been carried out to inform eHealth policy and practice. Following the May 2005 World Health Assembly resolution, WHO initiated a first world-wide survey on eHealth as part of the work of the WHO Global Observatory for eHealth (GOe), established in early 2005 to provide Member States with strategic information and guidance on effective practices, policies and standards in eHealth. The GOe secretariat is based at WHO headquarters in Geneva (Switzerland) and the networked operation is planned to grow rapidly to include research centres and collaborating partners across the globe.

The 2005 ehealth survey was distributed to all 192 WHO Member States and the outcome was disseminated through a report of the WHO Global Observatory for eHealth, entitled "eHealth tools and services: Needs of the Member States". The report identifies key eHealth action lines. It was distributed also at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in 2005. Half of the 52 Member States of the WHO European Region responded with valueable information to shape the WHO Regional Office for Europe's activities in countries.