INFO-B 644 Consumer Health Informatics
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
This is a consumer health informatics course in which we learn about how technologies are used to deliver healthcare to the public. Topics include:
- models for the delivery of consumer health information
- Internet-based information delivery
- access to patient information and privacy issues
- quality of consumer health information
- health literacy and health information literacy
- design and development of consumer health information resources
- consumer access to clinical information and current research
By the completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Compare and evaluate available consumer health information technologies, including web-based delivery; social networking sites such as news groups and chat rooms; e-mail; telephone; telehealth tools; and relevant virtual spaces.
- Evaluate the quality of the information delivered on the Internet; and recommend strategies for ensuring information quality.
- Examine the impact of technology-based information on consumer healthcare decision-making, patient self-management, and organizational management and decision-making.
- Analyze the changing relationships between healthcare consumers, patients and healthcare professionals as a result of available consumer information technologies.
- Describe the issues and challenges of healthcare delivery using telehealth and other technology-drive approaches.
- Recommend strategies for using technologies to enhance interpersonal relationships among healthcare professionals, patients and consumers.
- Analyze the social and ethical issues related to online, digitized or telehealth-based health information and care delivery. Consider the implications and outcomes of various policy decisions at local, regional and national levels.
- Recognize contemporary trends and best practices in consumer health information seeking and usage.
- Develop an informed understanding of the creation of online consumer health information sources.
- Understand the role of the federal government and professional organizations in the development and proliferation of consumer health information resources.
Course Delivery
- Online