Evidence-based patient choice and consumer health informatics in the Internet age.
In this paper we explore current access to and barriers to health information for consumers. We discuss how computers and other developments in information technology are ushering in the era of consumer health informatics, and the potential that lies ahead. It is clear that we witness a period in which the public will have unprecedented ability to access information and to participate actively in evidence-based health care. We propose that consumer health informatics be regarded as a whole new academic discipline, one that should be devoted to the exploration of the new possibilities that informatics is creating for consumers in relation to health and health care issues.
Eysenbach
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G
Research Unit for Cybermedicine and eHealth Department of Clinical Social Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, 69115, Germany. ey@yi.com
Jadad
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AR
D022126:Access to Information; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003625:Data Collection; D003657:Decision Making; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services / Q000639:trends; D020407:Internet / Q000639:trends*; D008490:Medical Informatics / Q000379:methods*; D009726:Nurses; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000379:methods; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010820:Physicians; D014481:United States