Question

conduct research on your own and find a research article that showcases the positive impacts of a consumer health informatics tool(s) implementation. Write a two - three page double-spaced (not including your title and reference page) summary paper highlighting the main takeaways from the research article. The research article you select must depict the implementation of a consumer health informatics tool(s) implementation.

Answer 1

Background:-

There is a growing interest in the potential of ICT solutions that are customized to consumers. This emerging discipline referred to as consumer health informatics (CHI) plays a major role in providing information to patients and the public, and facilitates the promotion of self-management.

The concept of CHI has emerged out of the desire of most patients to shoulder responsibilities regarding their health and a growing desire of health practitioners to fully appreciate the potential of the patient.

Aim:-

To describe the role of ICT in improving the patient-provider partnership in consumer health informatics.

Methods:-

Systematic reviewing of literature, identification of reference sources and the formulation of search strategies and manual search regarding the significance of developed CHI applications in healthcare delivery.

Results:-

New consumer health IT applications have been developed to be used on a variety of different platforms, including the Web, messaging systems, PDAs, and cell phones. These applications assist patients with self-management through reminders and prompts, delivery of real-time data on a patient’s health condition to patients and providers, web-based communication and personal electronic health information.

Findings reveal that information technology and consumer health informatics is becoming an important aspect of modern public health practice.

Currently, existing systems designed for health professionals are being adapted to be used at home by patients. New consumer health IT applications are being developed to be used on different platforms such as the internet, messaging systems, PDAs, and cell phones.

Low-cost communication systems (Skype, handled radios) have been developed to assist patients in communicating with physicians and obtaining vital information pertaining to their health care.

Smartphone applications, Self-Management Systems, Electronic Personal Health Records, Patient Portals, Peer Interaction Systems, Telemedicine and eLearning, mobile health are all ICT tools which facilitates the delivery of quality healthcare to consumers.

E-mail and text-messaging are all vital ICT tools developed to assist the patient and the provider in the quest for good health and quality health care delivery.

Summary:-

Many people are excited about the potential of health information technology (IT) and consumer-oriented electronic Health (eHealth) solutions to improve public health. The field of analyzing consumers' needs for information, implementing methods of making information accessible to consumers, and integrating consumers' preferences into medical information systems is commonly referred to as consumer health informatics (CHI). Despite the growing interest in this area, however, there has not been a rigorous review of the effects of CHI on health and health process outcomes.

New tools are being developed for the purposes of providing information to patients and the public which has enhanced decision making in health matters and an avenue for clinicians and consumers to exchange health information for personal and public use. This calls for corroboration among healthcare organizations, governments, and the ICT industry to develop new research and IT innovations which are tailored to the health needs of the consumer.