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  IHC Applications: Your Rights and Responsibilities

The Science Panel on Interactive Communication and Health (SciPICH) believes that consumers have certain rights and responsibilities regarding interactive health communication (IHC). These issues form the basis for several features offered on this Web site and suggest things you can look for when considering the use or purchase of an IHC application or service. Visit the Resource Center to explore the topics and recommendations listed below.

Your rights will include:

• Access to information about choice—the right to have information about the range of alternative consumer health support systems in addition to the one you currently are considering. 

• Information about evaluation—the right to have detailed and timely information about how a product was developed and tested for quality, and the credentials of its developers.

• Access to education and skills training—the right to be educated and trained in how to interpret scientific data and make informed decisions about choosing from the many health-related Web sites and other IHC applications.

• Opportunity for testing—the right to try out a developer's product before buying it to determine if it meets your needs.

• Mechanisms for appeals and grievances—the right to know what recourse you have if a product is misleading or deceptive, who to contact with complaints, and what groups or individuals can help insure that such protection is available to you. 

• Assurance of confidentiality and privacy—the right to receive confidentiality of personal information collected by the application, be consulted prior to release of the information for any use, know what kind of cyber security provisions are included in the program, and know what risks this may create for you.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Buyer beware—the responsibility to recognize the risks of using IHC applications and services, to learn how to judge and select applications that are appropriate for you, and to use the applications and services with a clear understanding of their limitations. Ultimately, you must protect yourself and your family from potential harm by carefully judging the validity of information and quality of the application or service before buying or using it.

Source:  The Science Panel on Interactive Communication and Health, March 1998

Comments: SciPICH@health.org   Updated: 05/01/08