title: How technology is empowering patients? A literature review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The term 'Patient Empowerment' (PE) is a growing concept – so in popularity as in application – covering situations where citizens are encouraged to take an active role in the management of their own health. This concept is serving as engine power for increasing the quality of health systems, but a question is still unanswered, 'how PE will be effectively achieved?' Beyond psychological implications, empowerment of patients in daily practice relies on technology and the way it is used. Unfortunately, the heterogeneity of approaches and technologies makes difficult to have a global vision of how PE is being performed.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To clarify how technology is being applied for enhancing patient empowerment as well as to identify current (and future) trends and milestones in this issue.
  
  
  METHODS
  Searches for relevant English language articles using Medline, Scopus, ACM Digital Library, Springer Link, EBSCO host and ScienceDirect databases from the year 2000 until October 2012 were conducted. Among others, a selection criterion was to review articles including terms 'patient' and 'empowerment' in title, abstract or as keywords.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results state that practical approaches to empower patients vary in scope, aim and technology. Health literacy of patients, remote access to health services, and self-care mechanisms are the most valued ways to accomplish PE. Current technology already allows establishing the first steps in the road ahead, but a change of attitude by all stakeholders (i.e. professionals, patients, policy makers, etc.) is required.
authors.affiliation: University of Seville, Seville, Spain.|CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Calvillo
authors.affiliation: University of Seville, Seville, Spain.|CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Román
authors.affiliation: University of Seville, Seville, Spain.|CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Laura M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Roa
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007256:Information Systems; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010358:Patient Participation
keywords: health information systems; medical informatics; patient education; patient empowerment; patient participation