Summary

Interactive health communication technologies involve the interaction of an individual with electronic information and communication technology, most commonly a computer, to access information or to receive guidance on a health-related issue. Applications include those that focus on promoting individual and community health, improving self-care, educating patients, and promoting commercial products through provision and sharing of information and structured decisionmaking processes. In 1997, more than 31 million Americans reported using the Internet or online services on a regular basis, and 37 percent of adult users regularly access electronic health information. In addition, an increasing number of persons are using decision-support applications to make choices about their health care or health-related behavior.

Internet-based and other interactive communication technologies present both opportunities and concerns regarding their impact on personal and public health. These technologies are encouraging more knowledgeable utilization of health care services and hold considerable promise for improving community and individual health status and reducing health care costs. However, such technologies also raise serious concerns regarding the accuracy, quality, and health impact of health information and programs. It is possible that inaccurate or inappropriate health information will result in harmful decisions such as receiving inappropriate treatment or delaying health-care-seeking behavior. Many new commercial health information products are being marketed to health plans, providers, health care purchasers, and individual consumers without formal evaluation of either effectiveness or health impact.

Given the dynamic nature of interactive health communication technology and its potential impact on the health of the public, the Science Panel on Interactive Communication and Health (SciPICH) has been created by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Staffed by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), the panel is composed of 14 national experts from a variety of disciplines related to interactive technologies and health, including medicine, human-computer interaction, public health, communication sciences, educational technology, and health promotion.

The major planned products of the panel include a set of concise papers targeted to specific audiences, a Web page dedicated to dissemination of the panel's and related work, and a final report. The general goal of these products is to accelerate the appropriate development, adoption, use, and evaluation of interactive health communication applications. The audience-targeted papers are intended to highlight the major issues related to evaluation of interactive health communication technologies from the perspective of consumers, developers, policymakers, and providers/payers. The final report of the panel is intended to provide a framework for the evaluation of interactive health communication technologies. It will focus on the elements of evaluation that are relevant for all audiences and provide recommendations for evaluation efforts. To assist the SciPICH in developing, reviewing, and disseminating its work, Federal and external liaison groups have been appointed, representing at least 24 Federal agencies and offices within and outside of HHS and 25 non-Federal or private-sector organizations, respectively.

Science Panel Members and Staff

Members:

Linda Adler, MPH, MA
Interactive Technologies Initiative
Kaiser Permanente

Farrokh Alemi, PhD
Associate Professor of Health Administration
Cleveland State University

David G. Ansley
Science Editor, Web Editor
Consumer Reports

Patricia F. Brennan, RN, PhD, FAAN
Moehlman Bascom Professor
School of Nursing and College of Engineering
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Molly Joel Coye, MD, MPH (Co-Chair)
Lewin Group

David Gustafson, PhD (Co-Chair)
Professor of Industrial Engineering and Preventive Medicine
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Joseph Henderson, MD
Director, Interactive Media Laboratory
Dartmouth Medical School

Holly Jimison, PhD
Director of Product Development
Caresoft, Inc.

Albert Mulley, MD, MPP
Chief, General Internal Medicine
Massachusetts General Hospital

John Noell, PhD
Vice President
Oregon Center for Applied Science, Inc.
Research Scientist
Oregon Research Institute

Kevin Patrick, MD
Editor-In-Chief
American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Director, Student Health Services
San Diego State University

Thomas C. Reeves, PhD
Professor of Instructional Technology
University of Georgia

Thomas Robinson, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine
Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention
Stanford University School of Medicine

Victor Strecher, PhD, MPH
Professor and Associate Director
University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center

Staff:

Mary Jo Deering, PhD
Director, Health Communication and Telehealth Team

Tom Eng, VMD, MPH
Study Director

Anne Restino, MA
Health Communications Manager

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

http://odphp.osophs.dhhs.gov/confrnce/partnr98/SciPICH.htm