Consumer Health Informatics

Consumer Health Informatics is the field devoted to informatics from multiple consumer or patient views. These include patient-focused informatics, health literacy and consumer education. The focus is on information structures and processes that empower consumers to manage their own health--for example health information literacy, consumer-friendly language, personal health records, and Internet-based strategies and resources. The shift in this view of informatics analyses consumers' needs for information; studies and implements methods for making information accessible to consumers; and models and integrates consumers' preferences into health information systems. Consumer informatics stands at the crossroads of other disciplines, such as nursing informatics, public health, health promotion, health education, library science, and communication science.

Resources:

• Office of the National Coordinator For Health Information Technology (ONC) Consumer Engagement
• Informatics for Consumer Health
• CMS Innovations Center
• National Priorities Partnership
• Partnership for Patients

Selected Publications

• Alexa T McCray The Practice of Informatics: Application of Information Technology: Promoting Health Literacy J Am Med Inform Assoc 2005;12:152-163
• Alla Keselmana,c, Robert Loganb, Catherine Arnott Smithd, Gondy Leroye, Qing Zeng-Treitlerf Focus on Consumer Health Informatics White Paper Developing Informatics Tools and Strategies for Consumer-centered Health Communication J Am Med Inform Assoc 2008;15:473-483
• Bonnie Kaplan, Patricia Flatley Brennan Focus on Quality Improvement: White Paper: Consumer Informatics Supporting Patients as Co-Producers of Quality J Am Med Inform Assoc 2001;8:309-316
• Calvin K L Or, Ben-Tzion Karsh The Practice of Informatics: Review Paper: A Systematic Review of Patient Acceptance of Consumer Health Information Technology J Am Med Inform Assoc 2009;16:550-560 
• Qing T Zeng, Tony Tse The Practice of Informatics: Viewpoint Paper: Exploring and Developing Consumer Health Vocabularies J Am Med Inform Assoc 2006;13:24-29
• Richard N Shiffman, S Andrew Spooner, Kelly Kwiatkowski, Patricia Flatley Brennan Focus on Agendas for Biomedical Informatics: White Paper: Information Technology for Children's Health and Health Care: Report on the Information Technology in Children's Health Care Expert Meeting, September 21–22, 2000 J Am Med Inform Assoc 2001;8:546-551