Abstract
Health informatics has much to offer community health care. Computer networks and
telecommunications provide particular support that can enhance the collaboration among
clinicians, care providers and patients. Special-purpose computer tools referred to
as Consumer Health Informatics (CHI) represent the application of computer and information
technologies specifically to support the health information and communication needs
of patients and lay persons. Research projects like ComputerLink and CHESS demonstrate
that CHI is acceptable to patients and promotes self-care and disease management.
Three grand challenges must be faced to insure realization of the promise of health
informatics to community health care: development of knowledge management and information
discovery tools for patients, insurance of health information literacy for all persons,
and re-engineering clinical practice to capitalize on patients as full partners in
health care.
Keywords
Consumer Health Informatics - Computer-mediated Communication - Community Health
