Technology for Health Decision Making

Chairperson:

Al Lazar, Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Panelists:

Holly Jimison, Ph.D., Oregon Health Sciences University

Gary Schwitzer, Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making

Paul Schyve, M.D., The Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations

• STATEMENT OF THE SUBJECT

Recently the pursuit of improvement in health care quality has broadened to focus on the provider-patient relationship as an active partnership where both individuals are involved in the health care decision-making process. This recognizes that the patient's involvement is vital to satisfactory outcomes,and that patients and caregivers are increasingly looking for tools to help clarify their choices. Such tools must help them sort out a complex body of health information, assess the patient's individual situation, and weigh care alternatives against the values and priorities of the patient and the family.

• KEY ISSUES, INCLUDING THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY

New media offer many advantages, including easy information storage and use; the ability to accommodate text, images, and sound; and a capacity to help in decision-making. A key characteristic of these technologies is their interactivity, which facilitates both patient empowerment and involvement of the provider, patient, and family members.

However, research is needed on the effectiveness of such tools for patient satisfaction and on health outcomes. Quality assurance standards are needed to ensure the integrity of the content and the decision-making structure of the technologies involved.

• ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND PRIORITIES OF KEY SECTORS

1. Legislative: provide funding for research and development of consumer health information technology and evaluation of existing information technology programs; promote policies which facilitate the growth of the National Information Initiative and appropriate technologies.

2. Executive: fund research, demonstration, and evaluation projects for consumer information technology; develop standards for consumer health information and dissemination.

3. Practitioners and health care organizations: encourage patient use of decision-support and other information technologies; promote decision-support technologies as a component of care; collaborate in development of information technology standards that facilitate access by consumers.

4. Patients: seek and use decision-support and other information technologies in the receipt of care; involve family members; advocate policies which facilitate access to information technology; participate in development of information technology standards that facilitate access by consumers.

5. Information systems developers: conduct research and development for innovative decision support technologies; involve practitioners and patients in development; collaborate in development of information technology standards that facilitate access by consumers.

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