Patient experiences

In considering patient experiences with health information technology, I question whether we have a strong enough user voice. Iterative programming and usability testing and agile programming are good, but are they good enough?

User input could be a continuous conversation with a core set of users. Thus, I am advocating for an increased link between informatics for consumer health and community-based participatory research and/or action research methods.

Sorry such a short post.

Patient-facing technology and families

The digital divide is an important issue for patient-facing technologies. I have participated in a number of project addressing informatics for vulnerable populations.

A major advance in both concept and reality is the idea (not new) of surrogate use of health information technology. So, if my 80 year-old grandfather cannot or will not access the Internet at home, his 40 year-old neice that lives in town might. Using a delegation function, grandpa would only have to access the system once, allow access to his trusted neice, and then he has surrogate access.

I think we need more health information technology interventions targeted at families, not individual patients. Acknowledge that using information technology for health is a team sport.

The Pew Internet and American Life project has some excellent data on this issue, I believe.

Informatics for Consumer Health

This excellent conference was in Washington this fall. I highly recommend all interested in behavioral informatics to visit the site.

AMIA year in review lists notable publications

Visit

http://dbmichair.mc.vanderbilt.edu/amia2009/#Notable_Events

To see a list of notable events in the area of informatics