

An Evidence-Based
Approach
Introduction:
Evaluation of IHC
Consumers & IHC
Evaluation
Developers &
IHC Evaluation
Policy Issues Relevant
to IHC
Health Care
Providers, Purchasers & IHC
SciPICH Final
Report

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Wired for Health and Well-Being: The
Emergence of Interactive Health Communication
Editors: Thomas R. Eng, David H. Gustafson
Suggested Citation: Science Panel on Interactive
Communication and Health. Wired for Health and Well-Being: the Emergence of Interactive
Health Communication. Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human
Services, US Government Printing Office, April 1999.
Download in PDF format: [Entire Document] [References]
HHS PRESS RELEASE
Embargoed until April 28, 1999
Contact: Damon Thompson 202-205-1842
HHS RELEASES FINAL REPORT OF SCIENCE
PANEL ON INTERACTIVE COMMUNICATION AND HEALTH
Washington D.C. On April 28th,
1999, the Science Panel on Interactive Communication and Health, an independent body
convened by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), released its final
report, Wired for Health and Well-Being: The Emergence of Interactive Health
Communication. The report, a landmark analysis of the emerging field of interactive
health communication, identifies specific opportunities for reducing risks and expanding
benefits associated with these new technologies.
"Emerging communication tools, such as
the Internet, can help us spread the prevention message and promote health in ways that
previous generations could only dream of," stated U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher.
In the foreword to the report, he wrote, "The rapid development of new technologies,
coupled with the explosive growth of the Internet, brings opportunities for people to find
interactive information, education, and support that is tailored to their needs and
preferences."
The Science Panel was convened to examine
the potential impact of health communication technology on the health of the public and to
accelerate its appropriate development, use, and evaluation. The Panel coined the term
"interactive health communication" (IHC) to refer to the use of information or
communication technology to access or provide health information, guidance, and support.
IHC includes health-related Web sites and non-networked software applications.
The Science Panel proposed four broad
strategies for ensuring that IHC will enhance health and healthcare: 1) strengthen the
evaluation and quality of applications, 2) improve basic knowledge and understanding of
IHC, 3) enhance capacity of people to develop and use IHC, and 4) improve access to IHC
for all populations. They concluded that IHC has great potential to improve health but may
also cause harm. Their report, Wired for Health and Well-Being, outlines the
potential for inaccurate, inappropriate, or poor design to result in harmful health
outcomes.
"To date, there has been little
evaluation or quality control of IHC because applications have developed faster than
theory and assessment tools," stated Science Panel Chair, David Gustafson, PhD, of
the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "With so many consumers relying on health
information on the Web, we need to ensure that we do no harm."
"This consensus report is a clarion
call to all stakeholders - application developers, consumers, health professionals and
healthcare organizations, policymakers, and others - to work together and leverage the
potential power of IHC to improve health, reduce health disparities, and contain
healthcare costs," stated Science Panel Study Director Thomas Eng, VMD, MPH.
A central area of concern outlined in the
report is the lack of public disclosure of information for consumers to judge the
credibility of the health information they are viewing and to make informed decisions.
With other consumer products, such as processed foods and cars, essential information
about the identity of the producer and content of the product are routinely disclosed. The
Science Panel proposes that application developers and sponsors routinely post such
information on their Web sites or other applications, and offers an "evaluation
reporting template" and "disclosure statement," available free at www.health.gov/scipich, to help implement this practice.
"Consumers should be informed shoppers
when it comes to the Internet," stated Mary Jo Deering, PhD, Director of Telehealth
at the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, HHS. She pointed out the
availability of pre-selected quality online health information resources for consumers,
including information on fraud and quackery, at www.healthfinder.gov,
the federal government's health portal.
The Science Panel is comprised of 14
nationally recognized experts from a wide variety of disciplines related to interactive
technologies and health: medicine, human-computer interaction, public health,
communication sciences, educational technology, and health promotion. The panel conducted
its analyses over two and a half years and published six articles that recently appeared
in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine and the Journal of the American
Medical Association (see press kit).
The Science Panel and its Web site at www.health.gov/scipich
are managed by the Office of
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), HHS. The entire report, adapted for Web
viewing, is posted at www.health.gov/scipich/pubs/finalreport.htm.
The public can order a copy for a $10 handling fee by calling the ODPHP's Communication
Support Center at 1-800-336-4797.
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Comments: SciPICH@nhic.org
Updated:
05/20/08 |