Interactive Health Communication

Interactive Health Communication: "The rapid proliferation of information and communication technologies that have emerged during the last several years has both hopeful and alarming implications for the future. These technologies have already produced profound changes in the US economy and continue to exert increasing influence on many aspects of daily life, including personal health decisions and behaviors, health care delivery and financing, and public health systems. Evidence of this phenomenon is the growth of interactive health communication (IHC): the interaction of an individual—consumer, patient, caregiver, or professional—with or through an electronic device or communication technology to access or transmit health information, or to receive or provide guidance and support on a health-related issue. IHC applications include health information and support Web sites and other technology-mediated applications that relay information, enable informed decisionmaking, promote healthy behaviors, promote information exchange and support, promote self-care, or manage demand for health services."