Consumer Education Curriculum Guide for Adults. Draft.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clemson Univ., SC. Vocational Education Media Center.

The consumer education for adults guide, part of a consumer and homemaking education unit, was developed in a curriculum workshop at Winthrop College in June 1972. It was written in reference to a norm grouping. The concepts presented are: family life cycle, life style, the consumer in the economy, spending plan, consumer credit, financing…

Consumer Citizenship Curriculum Guides for Social Studies, English, Science, Mathematics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacKenzie, Louise; Smith, Alice

These four consumer citizenship curriculum guides for social studies, English, science, and mathematics incorporate consumer education into these subject matter areas in grades 8-12. Each guide is organized around 10 main component/goals. They are basic economics in the marketplace, credit, consumer law/protection, banking skills, comparison…

News: A Consumer's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doig, Ivan; Doig, Carol

A guide to news media, this book describes how to tell when a report is biased; provides tips on spotting hoaxes and public relations ploys in the news; gives standards to judge expert opinion and reliable sources; lists critics and other sources of help for the news consumer; discusses the endless contest among politicians, newsmen, and…

Pesticide Devices: A Guide for Consumers

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This guide for consumers explains key facts about pesticide devices and how they differ from registered pesticide products. Device producers or registrants should see our Pesticide Registration Manual, Chapter 13 for information.

Consumer and Family Economics: Teacher's Instructional Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dennis, Bobbye

This teacher's instructional guide, which is part of a family and consumer sciences education series focusing on a broad range of employment opportunities, is intended to assist teachers responsible for teaching one- and two-year consumer and family economics programs for Texas high school students. The following are among the items included: (1)…

Consumer Health.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cornacchia, Harold J.

Consumer health refers to the potential or actual impact upon the consumer, individually or collectively, of any substances, devices, services, or systems that are offered for the supposed purpose of protecting, preserving, or restoring physical or mental health. This book is an effort to help the consumer to choose intelligently in spending for…

Consumer's Resource Handbook and A Teacher's Guide to the Consumer's Resource Handbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of Consumer Affairs, Washington, DC.

This document consists of a handbook for consumers and a teacher's guide to the handbook. The first part of the handbook gives advice on how to be a smart consumer and includes information on how to get the most for the money, handle a complaint, write a complaint letter, use the handbook, select child care, protect personal property, choose a…

Guide to an Assessment of Consumer Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Education Commission of the States, Denver, CO.

This guide is intended to assist those interested in developing and/or assessing consumer skills. It is an accompanyment to a separate collection of survey items (mostly in a multiple choice format) designed to assess seventeen-year-olds' consumer skills. It is suggested that the items can be used as part of an item pool, as an instructional tool,…

The Consumer and His Dollars: A Workbook and Study Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finegan, Marcella E.

This workbook and study guide for a money management curriculum in consumer education was written to accompany the textbook "The Consumer and His Dollars" and a teacher's guide, both announced in this issue as VT 017 179 and VT 017 177. Included are 16 chapters, each containing worksheets perforated for easy removal. Chapter highlights,…

Australian consumer awareness of health benefits associated with vegetable consumption.

PubMed

Rekhy, Reetica; Khan, Aila; Eason, Jocelyn; Mactavish-West, Hazel; Lister, Carolyn; Mcconchie, Robyn

2017-04-01

The present study investigated the perceived health benefits of specific vegetable consumption to guide the use of nutrition and health claims on vegetable marketing collateral. Free elicitation and consumer ranking data were collected through an online survey of 1000 adults from across Australia and analysed for the perceived importance of vegetables in the daily diet, number of serves consumed per day, knowledge about health-related benefits of specific vegetables and perceived health benefits of vegetable consumption. The importance of vegetables in the diet and daily vegetable consumption was higher in people from an English-speaking background, females, people aged 45 years and over and people living in non-metropolitan areas. Digestion was selected as the major health benefit from consumption of specific vegetables. However, understanding of the health benefits of specific vegetable consumption was relatively low among consumers. Half of the respondents were not sure of the health benefits associated with specific vegetables, except for carrots and spinach. Some respondents volunteered nutrient content or other information. There was no clear indication that consumers understand the specific health benefits conferred by consumption of vegetables. Nutrient and health benefit labelling therefore has the capacity to enhance knowledge of vegetable consumers. It is recommended that health benefit labelling be tailored to promote greater consumption of vegetables in those demographic groups where vegetable consumption was lower. The present study assists the Australian vegetable industry in helping consumers make more informed consumption choices. © 2016 Dietitians Association of Australia.

Consumer Electronic Product Servicing. Florida Vocational Program Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of South Florida, Tampa. Dept. of Adult and Vocational Education.

This packet contains a program guide and Career Merit Achievement Plan (Career MAP) for the implementation of a consumer electronic product servicing program in Florida secondary and postsecondary schools. The program guide describes the program content and structure, provides a program description, lists job titles under the program, and includes…

Consumer Mathematics. Teacher's Guide [and Student Guide]. Parallel Alternative Strategies for Students (PASS).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walford, Sylvia B.; Thomas, Portia R.

This teacher's guide and student guide are designed to accompany a consumer mathematics textbook that contains supplemental readings, activities, and methods adapted for secondary students who have disabilities and other students with diverse learning needs. The materials are designed to help these students succeed in regular education content…

Industrial Arts Resource Supplement to the Consumer Education Curriculum Guide for Ohio.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Dept. of Education, Columbus. Div. of Vocational Education.

The consumer education guide for industrial arts teachers was developed by a group of experienced teachers using the Consumer Education Curriculum Guide for Ohio, Grades K-12 as a reference. The guide is organized in six sections, each dealing with one of the following basic concepts: (1) the economic system, (2) income procurement, (3) consumer…

Consumer's Choice: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Consumer Education. Developed for Grades K-4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allegheny Intermediate Unit, Pittsburgh, PA.

This manual suggests teaching strategies for integrating consumer education into art, language arts, mathematics, science/health, and social studies in grades K-4. The guide lists consumer education competencies, interdisciplinary structures for consumer education, and provides a chart which relates competencies to page numbers in the guide.…

Consumer-driven health care: building partnerships in research.

PubMed

Shea, Beverley; Santesso, Nancy; Qualman, Ann; Heiberg, Turid; Leong, Amye; Judd, Maria; Robinson, Vivian; Wells, George; Tugwell, Peter

2005-12-01

Over the past four decades, there has been a widespread movement to increase the involvement of patients and the public in health care. Strategies to effectively foster consumer participation are occurring within all research activities from research priority setting to utilization. One of the ten principles of the Cochrane Collaboration is to 'enable wide participation', and this includes consumers. The Cochrane Musculoskeletal Group (CMSG) is a review group of 50 within the Collaboration that has been working to increase consumer participation since its inception in 1993. Based in Canada, the CMSG has embraced the concept of knowledge translation as advocated by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. The emphasis in knowledge translation is on interactions or partnerships between researchers and users to facilitate the use of relevant research in decision making. While the CMSG recognizes the importance of reaching all users, much of its work has focused on developing relationships with people with musculoskeletal diseases to enhance consumer participation in research. The CMSG has built a network of consumer members who guide research priorities, peer review systematic reviews and also promote and facilitate consumer-appropriate knowledge dissemination. Consumers were recruited through links with other arthritis organizations and the recruitment continues. Specific roles were established for the consumer team and responsibilities of the CMSG staff developed. The continuing development of a diversified team of consumer participants enables the CMSG to produce and promote access to high quality relevant systematic reviews and summaries of those reviews to the consumer.

Making Consumer Choices. Secondary Learning Guide 6. Project Connect. Linking Self-Family-Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, Inc., Hartford, CT.

This competency-based secondary learning guide on making consumer choices is part of a series that are adaptations of guides developed for adult consumer and homemaking education programs. The guides provide students with experiences that help them learn to do the following: make decisions; use creative approaches to solve problems; establish…

Dr Google and the consumer: a qualitative study exploring the navigational needs and online health information-seeking behaviors of consumers with chronic health conditions.

PubMed

Lee, Kenneth; Hoti, Kreshnik; Hughes, Jeffery David; Emmerton, Lynne

2014-12-02

interviews, with data saturation achieved by the 14th interview. While we identified a broad range of online health information-seeking behaviors, most related to information discussed during consumer-health professional consultations such as looking for information about medication side effects. The barriers we identified included intrinsic barriers, such as limited eHealth literacy, and extrinsic barriers, such as the inconsistency of information between different online sources. The navigational needs of our participants were extrinsic in nature and included health professionals directing consumers to appropriate online resources and better filtering of online health information. Our participants' online health information-seeking behaviors, reported barriers, and navigational needs were underpinned by the themes of trust, patient activation, and relevance. This study suggests that existing interventions aimed to assist consumers with navigating online health information may not be what consumers want or perceive they need. eHealth literacy and patient activation appear to be prevalent concepts in the context of consumers' online health information-seeking behaviors. Furthermore, the role for health professionals in guiding consumers to quality online health information is highlighted.

Involving consumers in health research: what do consumers say?

PubMed

Todd, Angela L; Nutbeam, Don

2018-06-14

To ensure that the contribution of patients and consumers in health research is better understood, respected and fully utilised. Type of program or service: Consumer representative networks that form part of a broader quality improvement program in local health services. Consultations were held with members of health consumer networks in Sydney, Northern Sydney and Western Sydney Local Health Districts, and the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network (at Westmead) about how to better involve consumers in health research. Feedback from 20 volunteers suggested that consumer involvement in research would be improved if: consumers understood more about research; communications clearly explained the research, why it was relevant to consumers and what might be involved; consumers' contributions were heard and respected; and being involved in research was made an easy and positive experience. People want to be involved in health research, and have valuable contributions to make. We must ensure that the potential contribution of patients and consumers is fully utilised, and get a great deal better at communicating benefits and risks.

A Guide for Evaluating Consumer Education Programs and Materials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lucht, Linda Lou, Ed.

The booklet was developed by the Committee on Criteria for Consumer Education Programs and Materials of the American Home Economics Association as a guide for the evaluation of consumer education programs and materials and for the development of such materials. A series of rating scales are presented, with discussion and explanation, in five…

Consumer Education: A Guide for Teachers of Home Economics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Ava A.; Whorley, Beulah

The guide offers suggested curriculum materials in consumer education for secondary schools or as background information for teaching adults. It focuses on an understanding of decision making, the economic system, and management. The units of instruction are based on 13 concepts: (1) the process of decision making in relation to consumer behavior;…

A Guide to Free and Inexpensive Consumer Education Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vickers, Carole A.

This guide contains sources of free or inexpensive consumer-education materials for use in schools or for adults. Specific contents include an annotated bibliography of 149 lists of publications dealing with consumer education materials; 77 articles in periodicals published in the 1970s; 53 audiovisuals or multimedia kits; 145 books about consumer…

Kentucky Consumer & Homemaking Education. Food & Nutrition Curriculum Guide, Semester Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blankenship, Karen; And Others

Intended for use by teachers at the high school level, this curriculum guide, which is one in a series of guides for consumer and homemaking education in Kentucky, outlines a semester special interest course in food management. The two units, comprehensive I and II, which are prerequisites for this course are found in a separate guide (CE 017…

Exploring Careers in Consumer Homemaking and Related Occupations: A Guide for Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Threlkeld, Joyce C.

One of 11 guides intended for use at the junior high school level of career exploration, the primary focus of the teacher's guide is on consumer homemaking and the related occupational cluster. Unit one offers an overview of the consumer homemaking field and unit two deals with student self-evaluation. Units three through six investigate four…

Kentucky Consumer & Homemaking Education. Housing. Curriculum Guide, Comprehensive Courses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mindel, Mildred W.; And Others

Intended for use by teachers on the junior high and high school levels, this curriculum guide, which is one in a series of guides for consumer and homemaking education in Kentucky, outlines four courses on the subject of housing. The seventh grade unit discusses the benefits of creative arts and has the student construct a creative art project for…

Consumer-Homemaking I Curriculum Guide. Bulletin 1810.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicholls State Univ., Thibodaux, LA.

This model instructional unit was developed to aid home economics teachers in Louisiana to teach a course in consumer and homemaking education in grades 9-10. The guide is designed for a full-year comprehensive home economics course. It provides guidance on model performance objectives, current technology content, sources, and supplemental…

Australian mental health consumers contributions to the evaluation and improvement of recovery-oriented service provision.

PubMed

Marshal, Sarah L; Oades, Lindsay G; Growe, Trevor P

2010-01-01

One key component of recovery-oriented mental health services, typically overlooked, involves genuine collaboration between researchers and consumers to evaluate and improve services delivered within a recovery framework. Eighteen mental health consumers working with staff who had received training in the Collaborative Recovery Model (CRM) took part in in-depth focus group meetings, of approximately 2.5 hours each, to generate feedback to guide improvement of the CRM and its use in mental health services. Consumers identified clear avenues for improvement for the CRM both specific to the model and broadly applicable to recovery-oriented service provision. Findings suggest consumers want to be more engaged and empowered in the use of the CRM from the outset. Improved sampling procedures may have led to the identification of additional dissatisfied consumers. Collaboration with mental health consumers in the evaluation and improvement of recovery-oriented practice is crucial with an emphasis on rebuilding mental health services that are genuinely oriented to support recovery.

Metrication. A Guide for Consumers. Consumer Research Report No. 2. Third Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Consumer and Corporate Affairs Dept., Ottawa (Ontario).

Designed to introduce the metric system to consumers, this guide, developed in Canada, offers a brief definition and history of the metric system and rationale for change. The conversion experiences of other countries are described, and questions about learning the new system and problems involved with the conversion process are also considered.…

Characterization of Patient Interest in Provider-Based Consumer Health Information Technology: Survey Study.

PubMed

Featherall, Joseph; Lapin, Brittany; Chaitoff, Alexander; Havele, Sonia A; Thompson, Nicolas; Katzan, Irene

2018-04-19

Consumer health information technology can improve patient engagement in their health care and assist in navigating the complexities of health care delivery. However, the consumer health information technology offerings of health systems are often driven by provider rather than patient perspectives and inadequately address patient needs, thus limiting their adoption by patients. Consideration given to patients as stakeholders in the development of such technologies may improve adoption, efficacy, and consumer health information technology resource allocation. The aims of this paper were to measure patient interest in different health system consumer health information technology apps and determine the influence of patient characteristics on consumer health information technology interest. Patients seen at the Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute were electronically surveyed on their interest in using different consumer health information technology apps. A self-efficacy scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 depression screen, and EuroQol 5 dimensions health-related quality of life scale were also completed by patients. Logistic regression was used to determine the influence of patient characteristics on interest in consumer health information technology in the categories of self-management, education, and communication. The majority of 3852 patient respondents had an interest in all technology categories assessed in the survey. The highest interest was in apps that allow patients to ask questions of providers (3476/3852, 90.24%) and to schedule appointments (3211/3839, 83.64%). Patient interest in consumer health information technology was significantly associated with greater depression symptoms, worse quality of life, greater health self-efficacy, and smartphone ownership (P<.001 for all listed). Patients should be viewed as active stakeholders in consumer health information technology development and their perspectives should consistently guide development

Consumer Health Informatics Aspects of Direct-to-Consumer Personal Genomic Testing.

PubMed

Gray, Kathleen; Stephen, Remya; Terrill, Bronwyn; Wilson, Brenda; Middleton, Anna; Tytherleigh, Rigan; Turbitt, Erin; Gaff, Clara; Savard, Jacqueline; Hickerton, Chriselle; Newson, Ainsley; Metcalfe, Sylvia

2017-01-01

This paper uses consumer health informatics as a framework to explore whether and how direct-to-consumer personal genomic testing can be regarded as a form of information which assists consumers to manage their health. It presents findings from qualitative content analysis of web sites that offer testing services, and of transcripts from focus groups conducted as part a study of the Australian public's expectations of personal genomics. Content analysis showed that service offerings have some features of consumer health information but lack consistency. Focus group participants were mostly unfamiliar with the specifics of test reports and related information services. Some of their ideas about aids to knowledge were in line with the benefits described on provider web sites, but some expectations were inflated. People were ambivalent about whether these services would address consumers' health needs, interests and contexts and whether they would support consumers' health self-management decisions and outcomes. There is scope for consumer health informatics approaches to refine the usage and the utility of direct-to-consumer personal genomic testing. Further research may focus on how uptake is affected by consumers' health literacy or by services' engagement with consumers about what they really want.

Making sense of "consumer engagement" initiatives to improve health and health care: a conceptual framework to guide policy and practice.

PubMed

Mittler, Jessica N; Martsolf, Grant R; Telenko, Shannon J; Scanlon, Dennis P

2013-03-01

Policymakers and practitioners continue to pursue initiatives designed to engage individuals in their health and health care despite discordant views and mixed evidence regarding the ability to cultivate greater individual engagement that improves Americans' health and well-being and helps manage health care costs. There is limited and mixed evidence regarding the value of different interventions. Based on our involvement in evaluating various community-based consumer engagement initiatives and a targeted literature review of models of behavior change, we identified the need for a framework to classify the universe of consumer engagement initiatives toward advancing policymakers' and practitioners' knowledge of their value and fit in various contexts. We developed a framework that expanded our conceptualization of consumer engagement, building on elements of two common models, the individually focused transtheoretical model of behavior and the broader, multilevel social ecological model. Finally, we applied this framework to one community's existing consumer engagement program. Consumer engagement in health and health care refers to the performance of specific behaviors ("engaged behaviors") and/or an individual's capacity and motivation to perform these behaviors ("activation"). These two dimensions are related but distinct and thus should be differentiated. The framework creates four classification schemas, by (1) targeted behavior types (self-management, health care encounter, shopping, and health behaviors) and by (2) individual, (3) group, and (4) community dimensions. Our example illustrates that the framework can systematically classify a variety of consumer engagement programs, and that this exercise and resulting characterization can provide a structured way to consider the program and how its components fit program goals both individually and collectively. Applying the framework could help advance the field by making policymakers and practitioners aware

Consumers' perceptions of preconception health.

PubMed

Squiers, Linda; Mitchell, Elizabeth W; Levis, Denise M; Lynch, Molly; Dolina, Suzanne; Margolis, Marjorie; Scales, Monica; Kish-Doto, Julia

2013-01-01

To inform the development of a preconception health (PCH) social marketing plan, we conducted qualitative research with prospective consumers. We present formative findings based on the four Ps of social marketing: product, price, promotion, and place. We conducted focus groups with 10 groups of women in Atlanta, Georgia, in fall 2010. We classified women aged 18 to 44 into five groups based on their pregnancy plans, and then further segmented the groups based on socioeconomic status for a total of 10 groups. The focus group guide was designed to elicit participants' responses about the product, price, promotion, and placement of PCH. We used NVivo 9 software to analyze focus group data. Women planning a pregnancy in the future had different perspectives on PCH as a product than women not planning a pregnancy. Barriers to PCH included lack of social support, addiction, and lack of awareness about PCH. Participants preferred to think of PCH behaviors as "promoting" a healthy baby rather than preventing an unhealthy birth outcome. Many women in the focus groups preferred to hear PCH messages from a health care provider, among other channels. The results from this research will inform the development of a social marketing plan for PCH and the development of concepts that will be tested with consumers to determine their viability for use in a national campaign.

Kentucky Consumer & Homemaking Education. Child Development. Curriculum Guide, Semester Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pyles, Grace; Rankin, Lila

Intended for use by teachers at the high school level, this curriculum guide, which is one in a series of guides for consumer and homemaking education in Kentucky, outlines a semester special interest course in the area of child development. As the concluding course of a curriculum on this subject which commences on the junior high level in a…

Kentucky Consumer & Homemaking Education. Clothing Management. Curriculum Guide, Semester Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powers, Betty C.

Intended for use by teachers at the high school level, this curriculum guide, which is one in a series of guides for consumer and homemaking education in Kentucky, outlines a semester special interest course in clothing management. As the concluding course of a curriculum on this subject which commences on the junior high level in a separate guide…

Consumer Health: Products and Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haag, Jessie Helen

This book presents a general overview of consumer health, its products and services. Consumer health is defined as those topics dealing with a wise selection of health products and services, agencies concerned with the control of these products and services, evaluation of quackery and health misconceptions, health careers, and health insurance.…

Making Sense of “Consumer Engagement” Initiatives to Improve Health and Health Care: A Conceptual Framework to Guide Policy and Practice

PubMed Central

Mittler, Jessica N; Martsolf, Grant R; Telenko, Shannon J; Scanlon, Dennis P

2013-01-01

Context Policymakers and practitioners continue to pursue initiatives designed to engage individuals in their health and health care despite discordant views and mixed evidence regarding the ability to cultivate greater individual engagement that improves Americans’ health and well-being and helps manage health care costs. There is limited and mixed evidence regarding the value of different interventions. Methods Based on our involvement in evaluating various community-based consumer engagement initiatives and a targeted literature review of models of behavior change, we identified the need for a framework to classify the universe of consumer engagement initiatives toward advancing policymakers' and practitioners' knowledge of their value and fit in various contexts. We developed a framework that expanded our conceptualization of consumer engagement, building on elements of two common models, the individually focused transtheoretical model of behavior and the broader, multilevel social ecological model. Finally, we applied this framework to one community's existing consumer engagement program. Findings Consumer engagement in health and health care refers to the performance of specific behaviors (“engaged behaviors”) and/or an individual's capacity and motivation to perform these behaviors (“activation”). These two dimensions are related but distinct and thus should be differentiated. The framework creates four classification schemas, by (1) targeted behavior types (self-management, health care encounter, shopping, and health behaviors) and by (2) individual, (3) group, and (4) community dimensions. Our example illustrates that the framework can systematically classify a variety of consumer engagement programs, and that this exercise and resulting characterization can provide a structured way to consider the program and how its components fit program goals both individually and collectively. Conclusions Applying the framework could help advance the field

Assessing School and Classroom Climate. A Consumer's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arter, Judith A.

School and classroom climate is often cited in effective schools research as being important for student achievement. This consumer guide is intended to help educators evaluate their own educational climate by providing reviews and descriptions of the major tests and surveys used to assess climate. Section 2 presents reasons for examining school…

The Use of an Adapted Health IT Usability Evaluation Model (Health-ITUEM) for Evaluating Consumer Reported Ratings of Diabetes mHealth Applications: Implications for Diabetes Care and Management.

PubMed

Househ, Mowafa S; Shubair, Mamdouh M; Yunus, Faisel; Jamal, Amr; Aldossari, Bakheet

2015-10-01

The aim of this paper is to present a usability analysis of the consumer ratings of key diabetes mHealth applications using an adapted Health IT Usability Evaluation Model (Health-ITUEM). A qualitative content analysis method was used to analyze publicly available consumer reported data posted on the Android Market and Google Play for four leading diabetes mHealth applications. Health-ITUEM concepts including information needs, flexibility/customizability, learnability, performance speed, and competency guided the categorization and analysis of the data. Health impact was an additional category that was included in the study. A total of 405 consumers' ratings collected from January 9, 2014 to February 17, 2014 were included in the study. Overall, the consumers' ratings of the leading diabetes mHealth applications for both usability and health impacts were positive. The performance speed of the mHealth application and the information needs of the consumers were the primary usability factors impacting the use of the diabetes mHealth applications. There was also evidence on the positive health impacts of such applications. Consumers are more likely to use diabetes related mHealth applications that perform well and meet their information needs. Furthermore, there is preliminary evidence that diabetes mHealth applications can have positive impact on the health of patients.

The personal health record: consumers banking on their health.

PubMed

Ball, Marion J; Costin, Melinda Y; Lehmann, Christoph

2008-01-01

With personal health records (PHRs) acting much like ATM cards, increasingly wired consumers can "bank on health", accessing their own personal health information and a wide array of services. Consumer-owned, the PHR is dependent upon the existence of the legal electronic medical record (EMR) and interoperability. Working PHRs are in place in Veterans Health Administration, private health care institutions, and in the commercial sector. By allowing consumers to become involved in their own care, the PHR creates new roles and relationships. New tools change the clinician's workflow and thought flow, and pose new challenges for consumers. Key components of the PHR include the EMR and regional health information organizations (RHIOs); key strategies focus on human factors in successful project management. Online resources provided by the National Library of Medicine and Health On the Net help address consumer needs for information that is reliable and understandable. The growth of self-management tools adds to the challenge and the promise of PHRs for clinicians and consumers alike.

Creating more effective health plan quality reports for consumers: lessons from a synthesis of qualitative testing.

PubMed Central

Harris-Kojetin, L D; McCormack, L A; Jaël, E F; Sangl, J A; Garfinkel, S A

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Social marketing techniques such as consumer testing have only recently been applied to develop effective consumer health insurance information. This article discusses lessons learned from consumer testing to create consumer plan choice materials. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING: Data were collected from 268 publicly and privately insured consumers in three studies between 1994 and 1999. STUDY DESIGN: Iterative testing and revisions were conducted to design seven booklets to help Medicaid, Medicare, and employed consumers choose a health plan. DATA COLLECTION METHODS: Standardized protocols were used in 11 focus groups and 182 interviews to examine the content, comprehension, navigation, and utility of the booklets. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A method is suggested to help consumers narrow their plan choices by breaking down the process into smaller decisions using a set of guided worksheets. CONCLUSION: Implementing these lessons is challenging and not often done well. This article gives examples of evidence-based approaches to address cognitive barriers that designers of consumer health insurance information can adapt to their needs. Images Figure. 3 PMID:11482584

The Consumer Health Information System Adoption Model.

PubMed

Monkman, Helen; Kushniruk, Andre W

2015-01-01

Derived from overlapping concepts in consumer health, a consumer health information system refers to any of the broad range of applications, tools, and educational resources developed to empower consumers with knowledge, techniques, and strategies, to manage their own health. As consumer health information systems become increasingly popular, it is important to explore the factors that impact their adoption and success. Accumulating evidence indicates a relationship between usability and consumers' eHealth Literacy skills and the demands consumer HISs place on their skills. Here, we present a new model called the Consumer Health Information System Adoption Model, which depicts both consumer eHealth literacy skills and system demands on eHealth literacy as moderators with the potential to affect the strength of relationship between usefulness and usability (predictors of usage) and adoption, value, and successful use (actual usage outcomes). Strategies for aligning these two moderating factors are described.

Consumer Education: Ecological Resource Management. Home & Family Life Curriculum Guide: H.E. Bulletin No. 43.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washington Office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Olympia.

The future ability of secondary students to interact in a progressively technologically-oriented society is the purpose of this curriculum guide on consumer education. The guide teaches consumer decision-making, resource management, and advocacy/action. The introduction discusses the future of society and technology. Each of three sections…

Ten Principles to Guide Health Reform.

PubMed

Gerald, Joe K

2017-03-01

Americans face inevitable trade-offs between health care affordability, accessibility, and innovation. Although numerous reforms have been proposed, universal principles to guide decision-making are lacking. Solving the challenges that confront us will be difficult, owing to intense partisan divisions and a dysfunctional political process. Nevertheless, we must engage in reasoned debate that respects deeply held differences of opinion regarding our individual and collective obligations to promote healthy living and ensure affordable access to health care. Otherwise, our decisions will be expressed through political processes that reflect the preferences of narrow interests rather than the general public. Our health care system can be made more efficient and equitable by incentivizing consumers and providers to utilize high-value care and avoid low-value care. To accomplish this, we must understand the determinants of consumer and provider behavior and implement policies that encourage, but do not force, optimal decision-making. Although distinguishing between low- and high-value treatments will invariably threaten established interests, we must expand our capacity to make such judgements. Throughout this process, consumers, taxpayers, and policy makers must maintain realistic expectations. Although realigning incentives to promote high-value care will improve efficiency, it is unlikely to control increasing medical expenditures because they are not primarily caused by inefficiency. Rather, rising medical expenditures are driven by medical innovation made possible by increasing incomes and expanding health insurance coverage. Failure to recognize these linkages risks adopting indiscriminate policies that will reduce spending but slow innovation and impair access to needed care.

Kentucky Consumer & Homemaking Education. Clothing and Textiles. Curriculum Guide, Comprehensive Courses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Dianne

Intended for use by teachers on the junior high and high school levels, this curriculum guide, which is one in a series of guides for consumer and homemaking education in Kentucky, outlines four courses in the clothing and textile areas. Starting at the seventh grade level in Unit 1, the topics and instruction increase in complexity from one unit…

Consumer Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bibel, Barbara

2010-01-01

This article presents an annotated bibliography of 19 titles that focus on cancer and health-care reform. These include: (1) Anderson, John W. "Stand by Her: A Breast Cancer Guide for Men." AMACOM: American Management Assn.; (2) Carstensen, Laura L. "A Long Bright Future: An Action Plan for a Lifetime of Happiness, Health, and Financial Security."…

Helping consumers make more healthful food choices: consumer views on modifying food labels and providing point-of-purchase nutrition information at quick-service restaurants.

PubMed

Lando, Amy M; Labiner-Wolfe, Judith

2007-01-01

To understand consumer (1) interest in nutrition information on food labels and quick-service restaurant menu boards and (2) reactions to modifying this information to help highlight calories and more healthful choices. Eight consumer focus groups, using a guide and stimuli. Focus group discussions in 4 US cities. A total of 68 consumers, with 7 to 10 per focus group. Authors prepared detailed summaries of discussions based on observation. Video recordings and transcripts were used to cross-check summaries. Data were systematically reviewed, synthesized, and analyzed. Consumer views on alternative presentations of nutrition information on packaged food items and quick-service restaurant menu boards. Participants (1) were interested in having nutrition information available, but would not use it at every eating occasion; (2) thought that food products typically consumed at 1 eating occasion should be labeled as a single serving; and (3) indicated that an icon on labels and menu boards that signaled more healthful options could be helpful. Findings provide a basis for the development of more systematic studies to better understand whether alternative presentations of nutrition information would help consumers.

BUSINESS, INDUSTRIAL ARTS, AND GENERAL CONSUMER MATHEMATICS GUIDE, TENTATIVE.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

WINGET, LERUE

THIS "CONSUMER MATHEMATICS GUIDE" IS DESIGNED TO GIVE CONCRETE HELP TO TEACHERS OF NON-ACADEMIC MATHEMATICS STUDENTS IN THE PRACTICAL AREAS OF BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIAL ARTS. THE COURSE, WHICH IS RECOMMENDED FOR JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, PLACES EMPHASIS ON CONCRETE EXAMPLES, APPLICATIONS, AND VISUAL MATERIALS. SOME UNITS OF…

A Suggested Teacher's Guide to the Consumer's Resource Handbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knauer, Virginia H.; Steeves, Robert F.

Designed to be used in conjunction with the "Consumer's Resource Handbook" (CRH), this teacher's guide features teaching units, sources of information, and follow-up learning activities. It is written primarily for secondary level students but can be adapted for elementary and postsecondary classes. Unit 1 addresses how to seek purchasing…

Development of a Curriculum Guide for Consumer Education in Vocational Home Economics Classes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Nancie Smith

This curriculum guide was developed to improve the present level of living among families in West Virginia. It was intended that vocational home economics teachers combine the objectives of the guide with their own class objectives, or in the absence of consumer education in the curriculum, use the guide for the initiation of a new program or unit…

Effect of direct-to-consumer genetic tests on health behaviour and anxiety: a survey of consumers and potential consumers.

PubMed

Egglestone, Corin; Morris, Anne; O'Brien, Ann

2013-10-01

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests can be purchased over the internet. Some companies claim to provide relative genetic risks for various diseases and thus encourage healthy behaviour. There are concerns that exposure to such information may actually discourage healthy behaviour or increase health anxiety. An online survey was conducted (n = 275). Respondents were composed of individuals who had purchased a DTC genetic test and received their results (consumers, n = 189), as well as individuals who were either awaiting test results or considering purchasing a test (potential consumers, n = 86). Consumers were asked if their health behaviour or health anxiety had changed after receiving their results. Respondents' current health behaviour and health anxiety were queried and compared. In total, 27.3 % of consumers claimed a change in health behaviour, all either positive or neutral, with no reported cessation of any existing health behaviour. A change in health anxiety was claimed by 24.6 % of consumers, 85.3 % of which were a reduction. Consumers had significantly better health behaviour scores than potential consumers (p = 0.02), with no significant difference in health anxiety. This study points towards an association between receipt of DTC genetic test results and increased adoption of healthy behaviours for a minority of consumers based on self-report, with more mixed results in relation to health anxiety.

Parenting: A Curriculum Guide for Consumer and Homemaking Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lehrman, Ray; Bomotti, Marty Jordan

This curriculum guide contains 11 units for a secondary consumer and homemaking education course in parenting. Unit titles include (1) The Individual, (2) The Family, (3) The Parent, (4) Family Planning, (5) Pregnancy, (6) Childbirth, (7) Care of Mother and Baby, (8) Adjustment of the New Family, (9) Developmental Stages of Children, (10) Guiding…

Providing consumer health information through institutional collaboration.

PubMed Central

Humphries, A W; Kochi, J K

1994-01-01

In the past several years, The Claude Moore Health Sciences Library of the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center (HSC) has noted a growing demand for consumer health information. However, because the primary role of the library is to provide information services to health professionals at the HSC, questions have been raised as to the amount of time, energy, and money that should be expended to provide health care information to consumers. The library staff, because it can provide special expertise regarding the availability and utilization of consumer health materials, has felt the responsibility to participate in HSC initiatives that reach a broad audience. Library efforts in that regard include assisting with inventory and management of patient education materials, participating in a community health promotion task force, collaborating with hospital departments in planning a consumer health information center, establishing a consumer health information reference section in the library, and obtaining a grant to offer a networked health information system to local public and community college libraries. Consumers of health information benefit from the enhanced services that result from combining the expertise of health professionals and patient educators with the information management skills of library staff. PMID:8136761

Home-Made Money: Consumer's Guide to Home Equity Conversion.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scholen, Ken

This guide was written to introduce consumers to home equity conversion (HEC) plans that are currently available and to explain the current state of HEC developments. It describes how the basic types of HEC plans work, gives examples of how how they can be used, discusses their advantages and disadvantages, and tells where they are available.…

I don't think we've quite got there yet: The experience of allyship for mental health consumer researchers.

PubMed

Happell, Brenda; Scholz, Brett; Gordon, Sarah; Bocking, Julia; Ellis, Pete; Roper, Cath; Liggins, Jackie; Platania-Phung, Chris

2018-06-12

Australia and New Zealand mental health policy requires consumer participation in all aspects of mental health services. Systemic participation informs and improves the quality of mental health services. Collaboration with consumer researchers should be similarly required. Enhanced understandings of collaborations are needed. To enhance understanding of the perspectives and experiences of nonconsumer researchers in working collaboratively with consumers as researchers. This qualitative exploratory study involved interviews with non-consumer mental health researchers who have worked collaboratively with consumers in research. Interviews were conducted with participants from Australia and New Zealand. 'Allyship' emerged as a major theme. This describes non-consumer researchers playing an actively supportive role to facilitate opportunities for the development and growth of consumer research roles and activities. Seven sub-themes were identified: establishing and supporting roles, corralling resources, guiding navigation of university systems, advocacy at multiple levels, aspiring to coproduction and consumer-led research, extending connections and partnerships, and desire to do better. Allyship may have an important role to play in the broader consumer research agenda and requires further consideration. Embedding meaningful consumer participation within mental health services requires active consumer involvement in research. Allies can play an important facilitative role. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Symposium on understanding and influencing consumer food behaviours for health: executive summary report.

PubMed

Amarra, Ma Sofia V; Yee, Yeong Boon; Drewnowski, Adam

2008-01-01

Food consumption patterns in Asia are rapidly changing. Urbanization and changing lifestyles have diminished the consumption of traditional meals based on cereals, vegetables and root crops. These changes are accompa-nied by an increasing prevalence of chronic diseases among Asian populations. ILSI Southeast Asia and CSIRO, Australia jointly organized the Symposium on Understanding and Influencing Food Behaviours for Health, focusing on the use of consumer science to improve food behaviour. The goals of the Symposium were to present an understanding of Asian consumers and their food choices, examine the use of consumer research to modify food choices towards better health, illustrate how health programs and food regulations can be utilized effectively to promote healthier choices, and identify knowledge gaps regarding the promotion of healthy food behaviour in Asian populations. There is no difference in taste perception among Asians, and Asian preference for certain tastes is determined by exposure and familiarity largely dictated by culture and its underlying values and beliefs. Cross-cultural validity of consumer science theories and tools derived from western populations need to be tested in Asia. Information on consumption levels and substitution behaviours for foods and food products, obtained using consumer research methods, can guide the development of food regulations and programs that will enable individuals to make healthier choices. Existing knowledge gaps include consumer research techniques appropriate for use in Asian settings, diet-health relationships from consumption of traditional Asian diets, and methods to address the increasing prevalence of over- and undernutrition within the same households in Asia.

The role of social media for patients and consumer health. Contribution of the IMIA Consumer Health Informatics Working Group.

PubMed

Lau, A Y S; Siek, K A; Fernandez-Luque, L; Tange, H; Chhanabhai, P; Li, S Y W; Elkin, P L; Arjabi, A; Walczowski, L; Ang, C S; Eysenbach, G

2011-01-01

: To provide an overview on social media for consumers and patients in areas of health behaviours and outcomes. A directed review of recent literature. : We discuss the limitations and challenges of social media, ranging from social network sites (SNSs), computer games, mobile applications, to online videos. An overview of current users of social media (Generation Y), and potential users (such as low socioeconomic status and the chronically ill populations) is also presented. Future directions in social media research are also discussed. : We encourage the health informatics community to consider the socioeconomic class, age, culture, and literacy level of their populations, and select an appropriate medium and platform when designing social networked interventions for health. Little is known about the impact of second-hand experiences faciliated by social media, nor the quality and safety of social networks on health. Methodologies and theories from human computer interaction, human factors engineering and psychology may help guide the challenges in designing and evaluating social networked interventions for health. Further, by analysing how people search and navigate social media for health purposes, infodemiology and infoveillance are promising areas of research that should provide valuable insights on present and emergening health behaviours on a population scale.

Health care knowledge and consumer learning: the case of direct-to-consumer drug advertising.

PubMed

Delbaere, Marjorie; Smith, Malcolm C

2006-01-01

This research develops a framework for understanding how consumers process health-related information and interact with their caregivers. The context is direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising by pharmaceutical companies in North America. This theoretical research presents a research framework and focuses on the presentation of information in advertisements, consumer-learning processes, consumer utilization of health care knowledge, and bias in perceived risk. The paper proposes that consumers who lack expertise with prescription drugs learn from DTC ads differently than those with expertise. Further, it is proposed that consumers also process the information in DTC ads differently depending on the perceived effectiveness of the drug being advertised, and ultimately utilize the knowledge taken from the ads in many different ways, some of which may appear irrational to health care providers. By understanding how consumers interpret and learn from DTC ads, health care organizations and providers may be able to improve health care delivery and consumer outcomes.

Consumer Education Resource Guide, K-12. A Multi-Disciplinary Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calhoun, Calfrey C.; And Others

The guide suggests methods and resources for planning learning experiences in teaching consumer education to students at the K-12 levels. The major topics and related areas are: (1) financial planning (estimating income, estimating expenses, establishing goals, making decisions, and making the financial plan); (2) buying (importance of planned…

Consumer-Business Days; Community-Wide Program. Project Guide No. 101.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Dept. of Commerce, Albany. Woman's Program.

The project guide describes the organization and implementation of consumer-business days, a community-wide business effort in a concentrated period of time (one week to one month) in which: (1) manufacturers; retailers; and financial, trade, and service organizations provide information, literature, tours, clinics, and programs for local…

Models of consumer value cocreation in health care.

PubMed

Nambisan, Priya; Nambisan, Satish

2009-01-01

In recent years, consumer participation in health care has gained critical importance as health care organizations (HCOs) seek varied avenues to enhance the quality and the value of their offerings. Many large HCOs have established online health communities where health care consumers (patients) can interact with one another to share knowledge and offer emotional support in disease management and care. Importantly, the focus of consumer participation in health care has moved beyond such personal health care management as the potential for consumers to participate in innovation and value creation in varied areas of the health care industry becomes increasingly evident. Realizing such potential, however, will require HCOs to develop a better understanding of the varied types of consumer value cocreation that are enabled by new information and communication technologies such as online health communities and Web 2.0 (social media) technologies. This article seeks to contribute toward such an understanding by offering a concise and coherent theoretical framework to analyze consumer value cocreation in health care. We identify four alternate models of consumer value cocreation-the partnership model, the open-source model, the support-group model, and the diffusion model-and discuss their implications for HCOs. We develop our theoretical framework by drawing on theories and concepts in knowledge creation, innovation management, and online communities. A set of propositions are developed by combining theoretical insights from these areas with real-world examples of consumer value cocreation in health care. The theoretical framework offered here informs on the potential impact of the different models of consumer value cocreation on important organizational variables such as innovation cost and time, service quality, and consumer perceptions of HCO. An understanding of the four models of consumer value cocreation can help HCOs adopt appropriate strategies and practices to

Do consumer reports of health plan quality affect health plan selection?

PubMed Central

Spranca, M; Kanouse, D E; Elliott, M; Short, P F; Farley, D O; Hays, R D

2000-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To learn whether consumer reports of health plan quality can affect health plan selection. DATA SOURCES: A sample of 311 privately insured adults from Los Angeles County. STUDY DESIGN: The design was a fractional factorial experiment. Consumers reviewed materials on four hypothetical health plans and selected one. The health plans varied as to cost, coverage, type of plan, ability to keep one's doctor, and quality, as measured by the Consumer Assessment of Health Plans Study (CAHPS) survey. DATA ANALYSIS: We used multinomial logistic regression to model each consumer's choice among health plans. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In the absence of CAHPS information, 86 percent of consumers preferred plans that covered more services, even though they cost more. When CAHPS information was provided, consumers shifted to less expensive plans covering fewer services if CAHPS ratings identified those plans as higher quality (59 percent of consumers preferred plans covering more services). Consumer choices were unaffected when CAHPS ratings identified the more expensive plans covering more services as higher quality (89 percent of consumers preferred plans covering more services). CONCLUSIONS: This study establishes that, under certain realistic conditions, CAHPS ratings could affect consumer selection of health plans and ultimately contain costs. Other studies are needed to learn how to enhance exposure and use of CAHPS information in the real world as well as to identify other conditions in which CAHPS ratings could make a difference. PMID:11130805

Development of the Health Insurance Literacy Measure (HILM): Conceptualizing and Measuring Consumer Ability to Choose and Use Private Health Insurance

PubMed Central

Paez, Kathryn A.; Mallery, Coretta J.; Noel, HarmoniJoie; Pugliese, Christopher; McSorley, Veronica E.; Lucado, Jennifer L.; Ganachari, Deepa

2014-01-01

Understanding health insurance is central to affording and accessing health care in the United States. Efforts to support consumers in making wise purchasing decisions and using health insurance to their advantage would benefit from the development of a valid and reliable measure to assess health insurance literacy. This article reports on the development of the Health Insurance Literacy Measure (HILM), a self-assessment measure of consumers' ability to select and use private health insurance. The authors developed a conceptual model of health insurance literacy based on formative research and stakeholder guidance. Survey items were drafted using the conceptual model as a guide then tested in two rounds of cognitive interviews. After a field test with 828 respondents, exploratory factor analysis revealed two HILM scales, choosing health insurance and using health insurance, each of which is divided into a confidence subscale and likelihood of behavior subscale. Correlations between the HILM scales and an objective measure of health insurance knowledge and skills were positive and statistically significant which supports the validity of the measure. PMID:25315595

Development of the Health Insurance Literacy Measure (HILM): conceptualizing and measuring consumer ability to choose and use private health insurance.

PubMed

Paez, Kathryn A; Mallery, Coretta J; Noel, HarmoniJoie; Pugliese, Christopher; McSorley, Veronica E; Lucado, Jennifer L; Ganachari, Deepa

2014-01-01

Understanding health insurance is central to affording and accessing health care in the United States. Efforts to support consumers in making wise purchasing decisions and using health insurance to their advantage would benefit from the development of a valid and reliable measure to assess health insurance literacy. This article reports on the development of the Health Insurance Literacy Measure (HILM), a self-assessment measure of consumers' ability to select and use private health insurance. The authors developed a conceptual model of health insurance literacy based on formative research and stakeholder guidance. Survey items were drafted using the conceptual model as a guide then tested in two rounds of cognitive interviews. After a field test with 828 respondents, exploratory factor analysis revealed two HILM scales, choosing health insurance and using health insurance, each of which is divided into a confidence subscale and likelihood of behavior subscale. Correlations between the HILM scales and an objective measure of health insurance knowledge and skills were positive and statistically significant which supports the validity of the measure.

Consumer-oriented health care reform strategies: a review of the evidence on managed competition and consumer-directed health insurance.

PubMed

Buchmueller, Thomas C

2009-12-01

For many years, leading health care reform proposals have been based on market-oriented strategies. In the 1990s, a number of reform proposals were built around the concept of "managed competition," but more recently, "consumer-directed health care" models have received attention. Although price-conscious consumer demand plays a critical role in both the managed competition and consumer-directed health care models, the two strategies are based on different visions of the health care marketplace and the best way to use market forces to achieve greater systemwide efficiencies. This article reviews the research literature that tests the main hypotheses concerning the two policy strategies. Numerous studies provide consistent evidence that consumers' health plan choices are sensitive to out-of-pocket premiums. The elasticity of demand appears to vary with consumers' health risk, with younger, healthier individuals being more price sensitive. This heterogeneity increases the potential for adverse selection. Biased risk selection also is a concern when the menu of health plan options includes consumer-directed health plans. Several studies confirm that such plans tend to attract healthier enrollees. A smaller number of studies test the main hypothesis regarding consumer-directed health plans, which is that they result in lower medical spending than do more generous plans. These studies find little support for this claim. The experiences of employers that have adopted key elements of managed competition are generally consistent with the key hypotheses underlying that strategy. Research in this area, however, has focused on only a narrow range of questions. Because consumer-directed health care is such a recent phenomenon, research on this strategy is even more limited. Additional studies on both topics would be valuable.

Health Care and Services for Consumers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daugherty, Mabel

This module, consisting of materials for use in conducting a consumer education mini-course, deals with health care and services for consumers. Covered in the individual lessons are the following topics: understanding what is and is not covered by Medicare, assessing the need for private health insurance, purchasing private health insurance,…

The Use of an Adapted Health IT Usability Evaluation Model (Health-ITUEM) for Evaluating Consumer Reported Ratings of Diabetes mHealth Applications: Implications for Diabetes Care and Management

PubMed Central

Househ, Mowafa S.; Shubair, Mamdouh M.; Yunus, Faisel; Jamal, Amr; Aldossari, Bakheet

2015-01-01

Background: The aim of this paper is to present a usability analysis of the consumer ratings of key diabetes mHealth applications using an adapted Health IT Usability Evaluation Model (Health-ITUEM). Methods: A qualitative content analysis method was used to analyze publicly available consumer reported data posted on the Android Market and Google Play for four leading diabetes mHealth applications. Health-ITUEM concepts including information needs, flexibility/customizability, learnability, performance speed, and competency guided the categorization and analysis of the data. Health impact was an additional category that was included in the study. A total of 405 consumers’ ratings collected from January 9, 2014 to February 17, 2014 were included in the study. Results: Overall, the consumers’ ratings of the leading diabetes mHealth applications for both usability and health impacts were positive. The performance speed of the mHealth application and the information needs of the consumers were the primary usability factors impacting the use of the diabetes mHealth applications. There was also evidence on the positive health impacts of such applications. Conclusions: Consumers are more likely to use diabetes related mHealth applications that perform well and meet their information needs. Furthermore, there is preliminary evidence that diabetes mHealth applications can have positive impact on the health of patients. PMID:26635437

Applying Consumer and Homemaking Skills to Jobs and Careers. Secondary Learning Guide 13. Project Connect. Linking Self-Family-Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, Inc., Hartford, CT.

This competency-based secondary learning guide on applying consumer and homemaking skills to jobs and careers is part of a series that are adaptations of guides developed for adult consumer and homemaking education programs. The guides provide students with experiences that help them learn to do the following: make decisions; use creative…

Identifying Health Consumers' eHealth Literacy to Decrease Disparities in Accessing eHealth Information.

PubMed

Park, Hyejin; Cormier, Eileen; Gordon, Glenna; Baeg, Jung Hoon

2016-02-01

The increasing amount of health information available on the Internet highlights the importance of eHealth literacy skills for health consumers. Low eHealth literacy results in disparities in health consumers' ability to access and use eHealth information. The purpose of this study was to assess the perceived eHealth literacy of a general health consumer population so that healthcare professionals can effectively address skills gaps in health consumers' ability to access and use high-quality online health information. Participants were recruited from three public library branches in a Northeast Florida community. The eHealth Literacy Scale was used. The majority of participants (n = 108) reported they knew how and where to find health information and how to use it to make health decisions; knowledge of what health resources were available and confidence in the ability to distinguish high- from low-quality information were considerably less. The findings suggest the need for eHealth education and support to health consumers from healthcare professionals, in particular, how to access and evaluate the quality of health information.

Nutrient profiling for product reformulation: public health impact and benefits for the consumer.

PubMed

Lehmann, Undine; Charles, Véronique Rheiner; Vlassopoulos, Antonis; Masset, Gabriel; Spieldenner, Jörg

2017-08-01

The food industry holds great potential for driving consumers to adopt healthy food choices as (re)formulation of foods can improve the nutritional quality of these foods. Reformulation has been identified as a cost-effective intervention in addressing non-communicable diseases as it does not require significant alterations of consumer behaviour and dietary habits. Nutrient profiling (NP), the science of categorizing foods based on their nutrient composition, has emerged as an essential tool and is implemented through many different profiling systems to guide reformulation and other nutrition policies. NP systems should be adapted to their specific purposes as it is not possible to design one system that can equally address all policies and purposes, e.g. reformulation and labelling. The present paper discusses some of the key principles and specificities that underlie a NP system designed for reformulation with the example of the Nestlé nutritional profiling system. Furthermore, the impact of reformulation at the level of the food product, dietary intakes and public health are reviewed. Several studies showed that food and beverage reformulation, guided by a NP system, may be effective in improving population nutritional intakes and thereby its health status. In order to achieve its maximum potential and modify the food environment in a beneficial manner, reformulation should be implemented by the entire food sector. Multi-stakeholder partnerships including governments, food industry, retailers and consumer associations that will state concrete time-bound objectives accompanied by an independent monitoring system are the potential solution.

Mental Health Consumer Experiences and Strategies When Seeking Physical Health Care

PubMed Central

Ewart, Stephanie B.; Bocking, Julia; Happell, Brenda; Platania-Phung, Chris; Stanton, Robert

2016-01-01

People with mental illness have higher rates of physical health problems and consequently live significantly shorter lives. This issue is not yet viewed as a national health priority and research about mental health consumer views on accessing physical health care is lacking. The aim of this study is to explore the experience of mental health consumers in utilizing health services for physical health needs. Qualitative exploratory design was utilized. Semistructured focus groups were held with 31 consumer participants. Thematic analysis revealed that three main themes emerged: scarcity of physical health care, with problems accessing diagnosis, advice or treatment for physical health problems; disempowerment due to scarcity of physical health care; and tenuous empowerment describing survival resistance strategies utilized. Mental health consumers were concerned about physical health and the nonresponsive health system. A specialist physical health nurse consultant within mental health services should potentially redress this gap in health care provision. PMID:28462330

Reorienting health systems to meet the demand for consumer health solutions.

PubMed

Buckeridge, David L

2014-01-01

There is a clear and pronounced gap between the demand for and access to consumer health solutions. Existing health information systems and broader health system factors such as funding models are reasons for this gap. There are strong arguments from the perspectives of the consumer and population health for closing this gap, but the case from the perspective of the current health system is mixed. Closing the gap will require a concerted effort to reorient health information systems and funding models to support online access by consumers to health information and health services.

Consumer Economics (Secondary): Teaching Strategies. Master Curriculum Guide in Economics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clow, John E., Ed.

Designed to build up concepts presented in the Master Curriculum Guide volume "A Framework for Teaching the Basic Concepts," this collection of teacher guidelines and classroom lessons focuses on how economic concepts and an economic way of thinking can be incorporated into various units in consumer education courses or in courses at the secondary…

Home Economics for Families with Limited Income Resource Supplement to the Consumer Education Curriculum Guide for Ohio.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Dept. of Education, Columbus. Div. of Vocational Education.

Designed as a supplement to the section on the socio-economically disadvantaged in the Consumer Education Curriculum Guide for Ohio, K-12, the guide contains consumer education learning activities for use with persons of limited income. It is organized in six sections, each dealing with one of the following basic concepts: (1) the economic system,…

Optimizing the efficacy of multimedia consumer health information.

PubMed

Monkman, Helen; Kushniruk, Andre W

2015-01-01

Using two or more communication methods (e.g., text, narration, pictures, animation, video) is known as multimedia. Multimedia has been used in a broad range of domains. Not surprisingly, multimedia is gaining popularity in the field of consumer health information as its benefits are being recognized. However, there is a large body of evidence in the cognitive literature that could be used to inform and optimize multimedia presentation of consumer health information. This paper outlines the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML) and presents the application of this model for consumer health informatics. The CTML is a valuable resource for the development and revision of consumer health information to optimize its efficacy. Current research on multimedia and consumer health information is described. Finally, the outstanding opportunities to leverage the CTML for consumer health information are discussed.

Consumer health information on the Internet about carpal tunnel syndrome: indicators of accuracy.

PubMed

Frické, Martin; Fallis, Don; Jones, Marci; Luszko, Gianna M

2005-02-01

To identify indicators of accuracy for consumer health information on the Internet. Several popular search engines were used to find websites on carpal tunnel syndrome. The accuracy and completeness of these sites were determined by orthopedic surgeons. It also was noted whether proposed indicators of accuracy were present. The correlation between proposed indicators of accuracy and the actual accuracy of the sites was calculated. A total of 116 websites and 29 candidate indicators were examined. A high Google toolbar rating of the main page of a site, many inlinks to the main page of a site, and an unbiased presentation of information on carpal tunnel syndrome were considered genuine indicators of accuracy. Many proposed indicators taken from published guidelines did not indicate accuracy (e.g., the author or sponsor having medical credentials). There are genuine indicators of the accuracy of health information on the Internet. Determining these indicators, and informing providers and consumers of health information about them, would be useful for public health care. Published guidelines have proposed many indicators that are obvious to unaided observation by the consumer. However, indicators that make use of the invisible link structure of the Internet are more reliable guides to accurate information on carpal tunnel syndrome.

Consumers in mental health service leadership: A systematic review.

PubMed

Scholz, Brett; Gordon, Sarah; Happell, Brenda

2017-02-01

Contemporary mental health policies call for greater involvement of mental health service consumers in all aspects and at all levels of service planning, delivery, and evaluation. The extent to which consumers are part of the decision-making function of mental health organizations varies. This systematic review synthesizes empirical and review studies published in peer-reviewed academic journals relating to consumers in leadership roles within mental health organizations. The Cochrane Library, Medline, and PsycINFO were searched for articles specifically analysing and discussing consumers' mental health service leadership. Each article was critically appraised against the inclusion criteria, with 36 articles included in the final review. The findings of the review highlight current understandings of organizational resources and structures in consumer-led organizations, determinants of leadership involvement, and how consumer leadership interacts with traditional mental health service provision. It appears that organizations might still be negotiating the balance between consumer leadership and traditional structures and systems. The majority of included studies represent research about consumer-run organizations, with consumer leadership in mainstream mental health organizations being less represented in the literature. Advocates of consumer leadership should focus more on emphasizing how such leadership itself can be a valuable resource for organizations and how this can be better articulated. This review highlights the current gaps in understandings of consumer leadership in mental health, including a need for more research exploring the benefits of consumer leadership for other consumers of services. © 2016 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Consumers' use of the internet for health information.

PubMed

Yom, Young-Hee; Yee, Jung Ae

2006-01-01

Although health information is one of the most frequently sought subjects on the Internet, little research has been performed in this area. This study was designed to examine the use of the Internet for health information by the consumers. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 212 consumers who were using health care. Only small percentages of the consumers accessed the Internet for health information. This result indicates that different marketing strategies based on geographic characteristics should be developed for consumers who wish to get health care information.

The skin health and beauty pyramid: a clinically based guide to selecting topical skincare products.

PubMed

Mayoral, Flor A; Kenner, Julie R; Draelos, Zoe Diana

2014-04-01

The use of cosmeceuticals by patients is now commonplace. Without consultation and direction from an informed clinician, marketing pressures can lead consumers to make poor product choices that can result in wasted money and unsatisfactory outcomes. Skin professionals need a scientifically based, succinct tool to guide their patients toward best topical skincare practices. The Skin Health and Beauty Pyramid is an educational framework and product guide created from extensive scientific literature and study review on ingredients, formulations and technologies affecting skin biology. This clinical tool can simplify product choices for physicians and clinicians in the process of professionally guiding patients toward the optimal use of topical products to achieve best outcomes for skin health and beauty.

Home Economics Supplement to the Consumer Education Curriculum Guide for Ohio, Grades K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Dept. of Education, Columbus. Div. of Vocational Home Economics.

Written by 90 vocational home economics teachers during the consumer education workshops held at three Ohio institutions: Ashland College, Bowling Green University, and Miami University, the material included in the supplement is to be used in combination with the Consumer Education Guide for Ohio, Grades K-12. The learning experiences are…

Consumer Health Informatics: Promoting Patient Self-care Management of Illnesses and Health.

PubMed

Jung, Minsoo

Consumer health informatics (CHI) is propelling important changes for medical providers and the lives of patients through information and communications technology. Independently, medical consumers seek, collect, and use health information for decision making. However, when constructing a CHI-based medical platform, high technology must be applied in a fully understandable and usable format for both health care providers and consumers. This study examines the present status of CHI and its effect on medical consumers. For the development of CHI, we discuss the need for tailored health communications and capacity building with chronic patients at the medical center. First, empowerment is a key characteristic needed for medical consumer health care management. However, promoting patient self-care management of illnesses and health is necessary to create conjugation where cooperation with medical service providers is possible. Also, establishing a health care delivery system that will support cooperation is necessary. Second, tailored health communications can uniquely construct the health information of patients, which prevents unnecessary or excessive information from leading patients to confused and inappropriate decisions. Ultimately, through the present environment of health communication, the innovation of a consumer health care information system has become the tide of the times and the positive effect of improved health can be expected.

Consumer Health Information Needs and Question Classification: Analysis of Hypertension Related Questions Asked by Consumers on a Chinese Health Website.

PubMed

Guo, Haihong; Li, Jiao; Dai, Tao

2015-01-01

This study built up a classification schema of consumer health questions which consisted of 48 quaternary categories and 35 annotation rules. Using such a schema, we manually classified 2,000 questions randomly selected from nearly 100 thousand hypertension-related messages posted by consumers on a Chinese health website to analyze the information needs of health consumers. The results showed questions in the categories of treatment, diagnosis, healthy lifestyle, management, epidemiology, and health provider choosing were 48.1%, 23.8%, 11.9%, 5.2%, 9.0%, and 1.9% respectively. The comparison of the questions asked by consumers and physicians showed that their health information needs were significantly different (P<0.0001).

CONSUMER ASSESSMENT OF HEALTH PLANS SURVEY (CAHPS)

EPA Science Inventory

This 5-year project has been used for consumers to identify the best health care plans and services for their needs. The goals of the Consumer Assessment of Health Plans (CAHPS?) are to (1) develop and test questionnaires that assess health plans and services, (2) produce easily ...

Consumer-directed health care: implications for health care organizations and managers.

PubMed

Guo, Kristina L

2010-01-01

This article uses a pyramid model to illustrate the key components of consumer-directed health care. Consumer-directed health care is considered the essential strategy needed to lower health care costs and is valuable for making significant strides in health care reform. Consumer-directed health care presents new challenges and opportunities for all health care stakeholders and their managers. The viability of the health system depends on the success of managers to respond rapidly and with precision to changes in the system; thus, new and modified roles of managers are necessary to successfully sustain consumerism efforts to control costs while maintaining access and quality.

Health Consumers eHealth Literacy to Decrease Disparities in Accessing eHealth Information.

PubMed

Park, Hyejin; Cormier, Eileen; Glenna, Gordon

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the perceived eHealth literacy of a general health consumer population so that health care professionals can effectively address skills gaps in health consumers' ability to access and use high quality online health information. Participants were recruited from three public library branches in a Northeast Florida community. The eHealth literacy scale (eHEALS) was used. The majority of participants (n = 108) reported they knew how and where to find health information and how to use it to make health decisions; knowledge of what health resources were available and confidence in the ability to distinguish high from low quality information was considerably less. The findings suggest the need for eHealth education and support to health consumers from health care professionals, in particular, how to access and evaluate the quality of health information.

Mining Health-Related Issues in Consumer Product Reviews by Using Scalable Text Analytics

PubMed Central

Torii, Manabu; Tilak, Sameer S.; Doan, Son; Zisook, Daniel S.; Fan, Jung-wei

2016-01-01

In an era when most of our life activities are digitized and recorded, opportunities abound to gain insights about population health. Online product reviews present a unique data source that is currently underexplored. Health-related information, although scarce, can be systematically mined in online product reviews. Leveraging natural language processing and machine learning tools, we were able to mine 1.3 million grocery product reviews for health-related information. The objectives of the study were as follows: (1) conduct quantitative and qualitative analysis on the types of health issues found in consumer product reviews; (2) develop a machine learning classifier to detect reviews that contain health-related issues; and (3) gain insights about the task characteristics and challenges for text analytics to guide future research. PMID:27375358

Mining Health-Related Issues in Consumer Product Reviews by Using Scalable Text Analytics.

PubMed

Torii, Manabu; Tilak, Sameer S; Doan, Son; Zisook, Daniel S; Fan, Jung-Wei

2016-01-01

In an era when most of our life activities are digitized and recorded, opportunities abound to gain insights about population health. Online product reviews present a unique data source that is currently underexplored. Health-related information, although scarce, can be systematically mined in online product reviews. Leveraging natural language processing and machine learning tools, we were able to mine 1.3 million grocery product reviews for health-related information. The objectives of the study were as follows: (1) conduct quantitative and qualitative analysis on the types of health issues found in consumer product reviews; (2) develop a machine learning classifier to detect reviews that contain health-related issues; and (3) gain insights about the task characteristics and challenges for text analytics to guide future research.

Designing Consumer Health Technologies for the Treatment of Patients With Depression: A Health Practitioner's Perspective

PubMed Central

White, Ginger; Caine, Kelly; Selove, Rebecca; Doub, Tom

2014-01-01

Background The consumer health technologies used by patients on a daily basis can be effectively leveraged to assist them in the treatment of depression. However, because treatment for depression is a collaborative endeavor, it is important to understand health practitioners’ perspectives on the benefits, drawbacks, and design of such technologies. Objective The objective of this research was to understand how patients and health practitioners can effectively and successfully influence the design of consumer health treatment technologies for treating patients with depression. Methods A group of 10 health practitioners participated in individual semistructured contextual interviews at their offices. Health practitioners rated an a priori identified list of depression indicators using a 7-point Likert scale and generated a list of depression indicators. Finally, health practitioners were asked to rate the perceived usefulness of an a priori identified list of depression treatment technologies using a 7-point Likert scale. Results Of the 10 health practitioners interviewed, 5 (50%) were mental health practitioners, 3 (30%) nurses, and 2 (20%) general practitioners. A total of 29 unique depression indicators were generated by the health practitioners. These indicators were grouped into 5 high-level categories that were identified by the research team and 2 clinical experts: (1) daily and social functioning, (2) medication, (3) nutrition and physical activity, (4) demographics and environment, and (5) suicidal thoughts. These indicators represent opportunities for designing technologies to support health practitioners who treat patients with depression. The interviews revealed nuances of the different health practitioners’ clinical practices and also barriers to using technology to guide the treatment of depression. These barriers included (1) technology that did not fit within the current practice or work infrastructure, (2) technology that would not benefit the

Consumer Education: A Teaching-Learning Unit on Consumer Health Care.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tennessee Univ., Knoxville.

This health education handbook covers the following topics: (1) the consumer and health care; (2) diet and nutrition; (3) additives, supplements, and health foods; (4) prescription drugs; (5) over-the-counter drugs; (6) doctors, hospitals, and surgery; and (7) providing and paying for health care. A teacher's supplement health care unit is…

Variations in lay health theories: implications for consumer health care decision making.

PubMed

Shaw Hughner, Renée; Schultz Kleine, Susan

2008-12-01

Wide variations in how contemporary consumers think about health and make health care decisions often go unrecognized by health care marketers and public policy decision makers. In the current global environment, prevailing Western viewpoints on health and conventional biomedicine are being challenged by a countervailing belief system forming the basis for alternative health care practices. The ways American consumers once thought about health have changed and multiplied in this new era of competing health paradigms. Our study provides empirical evidence for this assertion in two ways. First, it demonstrates that in the current environment consumers think about health and health care in a multiplicity of very different ways, leading to the conclusion that we should not classify health care consumers as either conventional or alternative. Second, the results provide clues as to how individuals holding diverse health theories make health care decisions that impact health behaviors, treatment efficacy, and satisfaction judgments.

Attitudes of nursing students on consumer participation: the effectiveness of the Mental Health Consumer Participation Questionnaire.

PubMed

Byrne, Louise; Happell, Brenda; Platania-Phung, Chris

2015-01-01

The aims of this article were to evaluate the Mental Health Consumer Participation Questionnaire, and measure nursing students' attitudes to consumer participation. Undergraduate nursing students (n = 116) completed the Mental Health Consumer Participation Questionnaire at the start of a course on recovery for mental health nursing practice. The current findings confirm an endorsement of consumer participation in individual care processes, but less agreement with participation in organizational-level processes, such as management of mental health services and education of providers. This article also confirms that the questionnaire can effectively measure attitudes to consumer participation. The participation of consumers is critical for achieving person-centered services mental health services. It is important that nursing education influence positive attitudes. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Effect of Doctor-Consumer Interaction on Social Media on Consumers' Health Behaviors: Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Wu, Tailai; Deng, Zhaohua; Feng, Zhanchun; Gaskin, Darrell J; Zhang, Donglan; Wang, Ruoxi

2018-02-28

Both doctors and consumers have engaged in using social media for health purposes. Social media has changed traditional one-to-one communication between doctors and patients to many-to-many communication between doctors and consumers. However, little is known about the effect of doctor-consumer interaction on consumers' health behaviors. The aim of this study was to investigate how doctor-consumer interaction in social media affects consumers' health behaviors. On the basis of professional-client interaction theory and social cognitive theory, we propose that doctor-consumer interaction can be divided into instrumental interaction and affective interaction. These two types of interactions influence consumers' health behaviors through declarative knowledge (DK), self-efficacy (SE), and outcome expectancy (OE). To validate our proposed research model, we employed the survey method and developed corresponding measurement instruments for constructs in our research model. A total of 352 valid answers were collected, and partial least square was performed to analyze the data. Instrumental doctor-consumer interaction was found to influence consumers' DK (t 294 =5.763, P<.001), SE (t 294 =4.891, P<.001), and OE (t 294 =7.554, P<.001) significantly, whereas affective doctor-consumer interaction also impacted consumers' DK (t 294 =4.025, P<.001), SE (t 294 =4.775, P<.001), and OE (t 294 =4.855, P<.001). Meanwhile, consumers' DK (t 294 =3.838, P<.001), SE (t 294 =3.824, P<.001), and OE (t 294 =2.985, P<.01) all significantly affected consumers' health behaviors. Our mediation analysis showed that consumers' DK, SE, and OE partially mediated the effect of instrumental interaction on health behaviors, whereas the three mediators fully mediated the effect of affective interaction on health behaviors. Compared with many intentional intervention programs, doctor-consumer interaction can be treated as a natural cost-effective intervention to promote consumers' health behaviors

Semantic annotation of consumer health questions.

PubMed

Kilicoglu, Halil; Ben Abacha, Asma; Mrabet, Yassine; Shooshan, Sonya E; Rodriguez, Laritza; Masterton, Kate; Demner-Fushman, Dina

2018-02-06

Consumers increasingly use online resources for their health information needs. While current search engines can address these needs to some extent, they generally do not take into account that most health information needs are complex and can only fully be expressed in natural language. Consumer health question answering (QA) systems aim to fill this gap. A major challenge in developing consumer health QA systems is extracting relevant semantic content from the natural language questions (question understanding). To develop effective question understanding tools, question corpora semantically annotated for relevant question elements are needed. In this paper, we present a two-part consumer health question corpus annotated with several semantic categories: named entities, question triggers/types, question frames, and question topic. The first part (CHQA-email) consists of relatively long email requests received by the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) customer service, while the second part (CHQA-web) consists of shorter questions posed to MedlinePlus search engine as queries. Each question has been annotated by two annotators. The annotation methodology is largely the same between the two parts of the corpus; however, we also explain and justify the differences between them. Additionally, we provide information about corpus characteristics, inter-annotator agreement, and our attempts to measure annotation confidence in the absence of adjudication of annotations. The resulting corpus consists of 2614 questions (CHQA-email: 1740, CHQA-web: 874). Problems are the most frequent named entities, while treatment and general information questions are the most common question types. Inter-annotator agreement was generally modest: question types and topics yielded highest agreement, while the agreement for more complex frame annotations was lower. Agreement in CHQA-web was consistently higher than that in CHQA-email. Pairwise inter-annotator agreement proved most

76 FR 58006 - Consumer Health IT Pledge Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-19

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Consumer Health IT Pledge Program AGENCY: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, HHS. ACTION: Notice of availability for Consumer Health IT Pledge Program. SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Office of the National...

Participative mental health consumer research for improving physical health care: An integrative review.

PubMed

Happell, Brenda; Ewart, Stephanie B; Platania-Phung, Chris; Stanton, Robert

2016-10-01

People with mental illness have a significantly lower life expectancy and higher rates of chronic physical illnesses than the general population. Health care system reform to improve access and quality is greatly needed to address this inequity. The inclusion of consumers of mental health services as co-investigators in research is likely to enhance service reform. In light of this, the current paper reviews mental health consumer focussed research conducted to date, addressing the neglect of physical health in mental health care and initiatives with the aim of improving physical health care. The international literature on physical healthcare in the context of mental health services was searched for articles, including mental health consumers in research roles, via Medline, CINAHL and Google Scholar, in October 2015. Four studies where mental health consumers participated as researchers were identified. Three studies involved qualitative research on barriers and facilitators to physical health care access, and a fourth study on developing technologies for more effective communication between GPs and patients. This review found that participatory mental health consumer research in physical health care reform has only become visible in the academic literature in 2015. Heightened consideration of mental health consumer participation in research is required by health care providers and researchers. Mental health nurses can provide leadership in increasing mental health consumer research on integrated care directed towards reducing the health gap between people with and without mental illness. © 2016 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Consumer-Oriented Health Care Reform Strategies: A Review of the Evidence on Managed Competition and Consumer-Directed Health Insurance

PubMed Central

Buchmueller, Thomas C

2009-01-01

Context: For many years, leading health care reform proposals have been based on market-oriented strategies. In the 1990s, a number of reform proposals were built around the concept of “managed competition,” but more recently, “consumer-directed health care” models have received attention. Although price-conscious consumer demand plays a critical role in both the managed competition and consumer-directed health care models, the two strategies are based on different visions of the health care marketplace and the best way to use market forces to achieve greater systemwide efficiencies. Methods: This article reviews the research literature that tests the main hypotheses concerning the two policy strategies. Findings: Numerous studies provide consistent evidence that consumers’ health plan choices are sensitive to out-of-pocket premiums. The elasticity of demand appears to vary with consumers’ health risk, with younger, healthier individuals being more price sensitive. This heterogeneity increases the potential for adverse selection. Biased risk selection also is a concern when the menu of health plan options includes consumer-directed health plans. Several studies confirm that such plans tend to attract healthier enrollees. A smaller number of studies test the main hypothesis regarding consumer-directed health plans, which is that they result in lower medical spending than do more generous plans. These studies find little support for this claim. Conclusions: The experiences of employers that have adopted key elements of managed competition are generally consistent with the key hypotheses underlying that strategy. Research in this area, however, has focused on only a narrow range of questions. Because consumer-directed health care is such a recent phenomenon, research on this strategy is even more limited. Additional studies on both topics would be valuable. PMID:20021587

Eliciting consumer preferences for health plans.

PubMed

Booske, B C; Sainfort, F; Hundt, A S

1999-10-01

To examine (1) what people say is important to them in choosing a health plan; (2) the effect, if any, that giving health plan information has on what people say is important to them; and (3) the effect of preference elicitation methods on what people say is important. A random sample of 201 Wisconsin state employees who participated in a health plan choice experiment during the 1995 open enrollment period. We designed a computer system to guide subjects through the review of information about health plan options. The system began by eliciting the stated preferences of the subjects before they viewed the information, at time 0. Subjects were given an opportunity to revise their preference structures first after viewing summary information about four health plans (time 1) and then after viewing more extensive, detailed information about the same options (time 2). At time 2, these individuals were also asked to rate the relative importance of a predefined list of health plan features presented to them. Data were collected on the number of attributes listed at each point in time and the importance weightings assigned to each attribute. In addition, each item on the attribute list was content analyzed. The provision of information changes the preference structures of individuals. Costs (price) and coverage dominated the attributes cited both before and after looking at health plan information. When presented with information on costs, quality, and how plans work, many of these relatively well educated consumers revised their preference structures; yet coverage and costs remained the primary cited attributes. Although efforts to provide health plan information should continue, decisions on the information to provide and on making it available are not enough. Individuals need help in understanding, processing, and using the information to construct their preferences and make better decisions.

"Chipping away": non-consumer researcher perspectives on barriers to collaborating with consumers in mental health research.

PubMed

Happell, Brenda; Gordon, Sarah; Bocking, Julia; Ellis, Pete; Roper, Cath; Liggins, Jackie; Scholz, Brett; Platania-Phung, Chris

2018-04-30

Collaboration between researchers who have lived experience of mental illness and services (consumer researchers) and mental health researchers without (other mental health researchers) is an emergent development in research. Inclusion of consumer perspectives is crucial to ensuring the ethics, relevancy and validity of mental health research; yet widespread and embedded consumer collaboration of this nature is known to be impeded by attitudinal and organisational factors. Limited research describes consumer researchers' experiences of barriers. Other mental health researchers are key players in the co-production process yet there is also a paucity of research reporting their views on barriers to collaborating with consumers. To explore other researchers' views and experiences on partnering with consumer mental health researchers in Australia and New Zealand. Exploratory qualitative design. Eleven semi-structured interviews were conducted with mental health researchers. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. Four themes concerning barriers to collaborating with consumers (hierarchies, status quo, not understanding, paternalism), and one theme on addressing the barriers (constantly chipping away) were identified. It is suggested that multifaceted strategies for advancing collaboration with consumers are most effective. It is imperative to attend to several barriers simultaneously to redress the inherent power disparity.

A health app developer's guide to law and policy: a multi-sector policy analysis.

PubMed

Parker, Lisa; Karliychuk, Tanya; Gillies, Donna; Mintzes, Barbara; Raven, Melissa; Grundy, Quinn

2017-10-02

Apps targeted at health and wellbeing sit in a rapidly growing industry associated with widespread optimism about their potential to deliver accessible and cost-effective healthcare. App developers might not be aware of all the regulatory requirements and best practice principles are emergent. Health apps are regulated in order to minimise their potential for harm due to, for example, loss of personal health privacy, financial costs, and health harms from delayed or unnecessary diagnosis, monitoring and treatment. We aimed to produce a comprehensive guide to assist app developers in producing health apps that are legally compliant and in keeping with high professional standards of user protection. We conducted a case study analysis of the Australian and related international policy environment for mental health apps to identify relevant sectors, policy actors, and policy solutions. We identified 29 policies produced by governments and non-government organisations that provide oversight of health apps. In consultation with stakeholders, we developed an interactive tool targeted at app developers, summarising key features of the policy environment and highlighting legislative, industry and professional standards around seven relevant domains: privacy, security, content, promotion and advertising, consumer finances, medical device efficacy and safety, and professional ethics. We annotated this developer guidance tool with information about: the relevance of each domain; existing legislative and non-legislative guidance; critiques of existing policy; recommendations for developers; and suggestions for other key stakeholders. We anticipate that mental health apps developed in accordance with this tool will be more likely to conform to regulatory requirements, protect consumer privacy, protect consumer finances, and deliver health benefit; and less likely to attract regulatory penalties, offend consumers and communities, mislead consumers, or deliver health harms. We

A health literacy and usability heuristic evaluation of a mobile consumer health application.

PubMed

Monkman, Helen; Kushniruk, Andre

2013-01-01

Usability and health literacy are two critical factors in the design and evaluation of consumer health information systems. However, methods for evaluating these two factors in conjunction remain limited. This study adapted a set of existing guidelines for the design of consumer health Web sites into evidence-based evaluation heuristics tailored specifically for mobile consumer health applications. In order to test the approach, a mobile consumer health application (app) was then evaluated using these heuristics. In addition to revealing ways to improve the usability of the system, this analysis identified opportunities to augment the content to make it more understandable by users with limited health literacy. This study successfully demonstrated the utility of converting existing design guidelines into heuristics for the evaluation of usability and health literacy. The heuristics generated could be applied for assessing and revising other existing consumer health information systems.

Evidence-based Practice. Findings from the Section on Education and Consumer Health Informatics.

PubMed

Staccini, P; Douali, N

2013-01-01

To provide an overview of outstanding current research conducted in Education and Consumer Informatics. Synopsis of the articles on education and consumer health informatics published in 2012 and selected for the IMIA Yearbook of Medical Informatics 2013. Architecture of monitoring or telehealth information systems for patients with chronic disease must include wireless devices to aid in the collection of personal data. Data acquisition technologies have an impact on patients' willingness to participate in telehealth programmes. Patients are more likely to prefer mobile applications over web-based applications. Social media is widely used by clinicians. Especially younger clinicians use it for personal purposes and for reference materials retrieval. Questions remain on optimal training requirements and on the effects on clinician behavior and on patient outcomes. A high level of e-Health literacy by patients will promote increased adoption and utilization of personal health records. The selected articles highlight the need for training of clinicians to become aware of existing telehealth systems, in order to correctly inform and guide patients to take part in telehealth systems and adopt personal healthcare records (PHR).

Development of a health information technology acceptance model using consumers' health behavior intention.

PubMed

Kim, Jeongeun; Park, Hyeoun-Ae

2012-10-01

For effective health promotion using health information technology (HIT), it is mandatory that health consumers have the behavioral intention to measure, store, and manage their own health data. Understanding health consumers' intention and behavior is needed to develop and implement effective and efficient strategies. To develop and verify the extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in health care by describing health consumers' behavioral intention of using HIT. This study used a cross-sectional descriptive correlational design. We extended TAM by adding more antecedents and mediating variables to enhance the model's explanatory power and to make it more applicable to health consumers' behavioral intention. Additional antecedents and mediating variables were added to the hypothetical model, based on their theoretical relevance, from the Health Belief Model and theory of planned behavior, along with the TAM. We undertook structural equation analysis to examine the specific nature of the relationship involved in understanding consumers' use of HIT. Study participants were 728 members recruited from three Internet health portals in Korea. Data were collected by a Web-based survey using a structured self-administered questionnaire. The overall fitness indices for the model developed in this study indicated an acceptable fit of the model. All path coefficients were statistically significant. This study showed that perceived threat, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use significantly affected health consumers' attitude and behavioral intention. Health consumers' health status, health belief and concerns, subjective norm, HIT characteristics, and HIT self-efficacy had a strong indirect impact on attitude and behavioral intention through the mediators of perceived threat, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use. An extended TAM in the HIT arena was found to be valid to describe health consumers' behavioral intention. We categorized the concepts in

Consumer Engagement in Health IT: Distinguishing Rhetoric from Reality.

PubMed

Gold, Marsha; Hossain, Mynti; Mangum, Amy

2015-01-01

Policymakers want health information technology (health IT) to support consumer engagement to help achieve national health goals. In this paper, we review the evidence to compare the rhetoric with the reality of current practice. Our environmental scan shows that consumer demand exists for electronic access to personal health information, but that technical and system or political barriers still limit the value of the available information and its potential benefits. There is a gap between current reality and the goals for consumer engagement. Actions that may help bridge this gap include: (1) resolving technical barriers to health information exchange (HIE); (2) developing more consumer-centric design and functionality; (3) reinforcing incentives that attract provider support by showing that consumer engagement is in their interest; and (4) building a stronger empirical case to convince decision makers that consumer engagement will lead to better care, improved health outcomes, and lower costs.

A Query Analysis of Consumer Health Information Retrieval

PubMed Central

Hong, Yi; de la Cruz, Norberto; Barnas, Gary; Early, Eileen; Gillis, Rick

2002-01-01

The log files of MCW HealthLink web site were analyzed to study users' needs for consumer health information and get a better understanding of the health topics users are searching for, the paths users usually take to find consumer health information and the way to improve search effectiveness.

Consumer experiences in a consumer-driven health plan.

PubMed

Christianson, Jon B; Parente, Stephen T; Feldman, Roger

2004-08-01

To assess the experience of enrollees in a consumer-driven health plan (CDHP). Survey of University of Minnesota employees regarding their 2002 health benefits. Comparison of regression-adjusted mean values for CDHP and other plan enrollees: customer service, plan paperwork, overall satisfaction, and plan switching. For CDHP enrollees only, use of plan features, willingness to recommend the plan to others, and reports of particularly negative or positive experiences. There were significant differences in experiences of CDHP enrollees versus enrollees in other plans with customer service and paperwork, but similar levels of satisfaction (on a 10-point scale) with health plans. Eight percent of CDHP enrollees left their plan after one year, compared to 5 percent of enrollees leaving other plans. A minority of CDHP enrollees used online plan features, but enrollees generally were satisfied with the amount and quality of the information provided by the CDHP. Almost half reported a particularly positive experience, compared to a quarter reporting a particularly negative experience. Thirty percent said they would recommend the plan to others, while an additional 57 percent said they would recommend it depending on the situation. Much more work is needed to determine how consumer experience varies with the number and type of plan options available, the design of the CDHP, and the length of time in the CDHP. Research also is needed on the factors that affect consumer decisions to leave CDHPs.

Consumer health information seeking in social media: a literature review.

PubMed

Zhao, Yuehua; Zhang, Jin

2017-12-01

The objective of this literature review was to summarise current research regarding how consumers seek health-related information from social media. Primarily, we hope to reveal characteristics of existing studies investigating the health topics that consumers have discussed in social media, ascertaining the roles social media have played in consumers' information-seeking processes and discussing the potential benefits and concerns of accessing consumer health information in social media. The Web of Science Core Collection database was searched for existing literature on consumer health information seeking in social media. The search returned 214 articles, of which 21 met the eligibility criteria following review of full-text documents. Between 2011 and 2016, twenty-one studies published explored various topics related to consumer information seeking in social media. These ranged from online discussions on specific diseases (e.g. diabetes) to public health concerns (e.g. pesticide residues). Consumers' information needs vary depending on the health issues of interest. Benefits of health seeking on social media, in addition to filling a need for health information, include the social and emotional support health consumers gain from peer-to-peer interactions. These benefits, however, are tempered by concerns of information quality and authority and lead to decreased consumer engagement. © 2017 Health Libraries Group.

Determinants of Consumer eHealth Information Seeking Behavior.

PubMed

Sandefer, Ryan H; Westra, Bonnie L; Khairat, Saif S; Pieczkiewicz, David S; Speedie, Stuart M

2015-01-01

Patients are increasingly using the Internet and other technologies to engage in their own healthcare, but little research has focused on the determinants of consumer eHealth behaviors related to Internet use. This study uses data from 115,089 respondents to four years of the National Health Interview Series to identify the associations between one consumer eHealth behavior (information seeking) and demographics, health measures, and Personal Health Information Management (PHIM) (messaging, scheduling, refills, and chat). Individuals who use PHIM are 7.5 times more likely to search the internet for health related information. Just as health has social determinants, the results of this study indicate there are potential social determinants of consumer eHealth behaviors including personal demographics, health status, and healthcare access.

Facilitating consumer access to health information.

PubMed

Snowdon, Anne; Schnarr, Karin; Alessi, Charles

2014-01-01

The lead paper from Zelmer and Hagens details the substantive evolution occurring in health information technologies that has the potential to transform the relationship between consumers, health practitioners and health systems. In this commentary, the authors suggest that Canada is experiencing a shift in consumer behaviour toward a desire to actively manage one's health and wellness that is being facilitated through the advent of health applications on mobile and online technologies platforms. The result is that Canadians are now able to create personalized health solutions based on their individual health values and goals. However, before Canadians are able to derive a personal health benefit from these rapid changes in information technology, they require and are increasingly demanding greater real-time access to their own health information to better inform decision-making, as well as interoperability between their personal health tracking systems and those of their health practitioner team.

Consumer Engagement in Health IT: Distinguishing Rhetoric from Reality

PubMed Central

Gold, Marsha; Hossain, Mynti; Mangum, Amy

2015-01-01

Rationale: Policymakers want health information technology (health IT) to support consumer engagement to help achieve national health goals. In this paper, we review the evidence to compare the rhetoric with the reality of current practice. Current Reality and Barriers: Our environmental scan shows that consumer demand exists for electronic access to personal health information, but that technical and system or political barriers still limit the value of the available information and its potential benefits. Conclusions and Policy Implications: There is a gap between current reality and the goals for consumer engagement. Actions that may help bridge this gap include: (1) resolving technical barriers to health information exchange (HIE); (2) developing more consumer-centric design and functionality; (3) reinforcing incentives that attract provider support by showing that consumer engagement is in their interest; and (4) building a stronger empirical case to convince decision makers that consumer engagement will lead to better care, improved health outcomes, and lower costs. PMID:26665120

The experience of stigma among Black mental health consumers.

PubMed

Alvidrez, Jennifer; Snowden, Lonnie R; Kaiser, Dawn M

2008-08-01

Little is known about how stigma affects Black people receiving mental health treatment. For a project to develop a consumer-based stigma intervention, qualitative interviews were conducted with public-sector Black mental health consumers (N=34). Primary themes from the interviews regarding stigma concerns, experiences, and coping strategies were examined. Concerns about stigma prompted most consumers initially to avoid or delay treatment; once in treatment, consumers commonly faced stigmatizing reactions from others. Consumers identified numerous strategies to deal with stigma, including seeking support from accepting members of their existing social networks, and viewing their own health as more important than the reaction of others. These consumer perspectives may be valuable to Black individuals who are contemplating seeking mental health treatment.

Consumer health information for pet owners

PubMed Central

Murphy, Sarah Anne

2006-01-01

Objective: The author studied health information available for veterinary consumers both in print and online. Methods: WorldCat was searched using a list of fifty-three Library of Congress subject headings relevant to veterinary consumer health to identify print resources for review. Identified items were then collected and assessed for authority, comprehensiveness of coverage, validity, and other criteria outlined by Rees. An in-depth assessment of the information available for feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) and canine congestive heart failure (CHF) was then conducted to examine the availability and quality of information available for specific diseases and disorders. A reading grade level was assigned for each passage using the Flesch-Kincaid formula in the Readability Statistics feature in Microsoft Word. Results/Discussion: A total of 187 books and 7 Websites were identified and evaluated. More than half of the passages relating to FLUTD and CHF were written above an 11th-grade reading level. A limited quantity of quality, in-depth resources that address specific diseases and disorders and are written at an appropriate reading level for consumers is available. Conclusion: The library's role is to facilitate access to the limited number of quality consumer health resources that are available to veterinary consumers. PMID:16636707

How consumers evaluate health care quality: Part II.

PubMed

Moore, S T; Bopp, K D

1999-01-01

This article is the second in a series which examines the way in which consumers assess information regarding the quality of health care services. In the previous article it was demonstrated that, in the view of health care consumers, three major perceptions held by health care consumers, are: (1) substantial differences in quality exist among health care providers, (2) little information is available that allows for the comparison of health care providers on issues related to quality, and (3) when such information is available it is found to be useful and often serves as the basis for decision regarding the choice of health care providers. We further discussed the short coming of marketing strategies based on complex quality indicators and the difficulties of image advertising in an age of institutional mistrust. The reader is reminded that these findings relate to the subjective assessments of consumers, not to objective facts concerning health care delivery.

Consumer subjectivity and U.S. health care reform.

PubMed

West, Emily

2014-01-01

Health care consumerism is an important frame in U.S. health care policy, especially in recent media and policy discourse about federal health care reform. This article reports on qualitative fieldwork with health care users to find out how people interpret and make sense of the identity of "health care consumer." It proposes that while the term consumer is normally understood as a descriptive label for users who purchase health care and insurance services, it should actually be understood as a metaphor, carrying with it a host of associations that shape U.S. health care policy debates in particular ways. Based on interviews with 36 people, patient was the dominant term people used to describe themselves, but consumer was the second most popular. Informants interpreted the health care consumer as being informed, proactive, and having choices, but there were also "semiotic traps," or difficult-to-resolve tensions for this identity. The discourse of consumerism functions in part as code for individual responsibility, and therefore as a classed moral discourse, with implications for U.S. health care policy.

Consumer input into health care: Time for a new active and comprehensive model of consumer involvement.

PubMed

Hall, Alix E; Bryant, Jamie; Sanson-Fisher, Rob W; Fradgley, Elizabeth A; Proietto, Anthony M; Roos, Ian

2018-03-07

To ensure the provision of patient-centred health care, it is essential that consumers are actively involved in the process of determining and implementing health-care quality improvements. However, common strategies used to involve consumers in quality improvements, such as consumer membership on committees and collection of patient feedback via surveys, are ineffective and have a number of limitations, including: limited representativeness; tokenism; a lack of reliable and valid patient feedback data; infrequent assessment of patient feedback; delays in acquiring feedback; and how collected feedback is used to drive health-care improvements. We propose a new active model of consumer engagement that aims to overcome these limitations. This model involves the following: (i) the development of a new measure of consumer perceptions; (ii) low cost and frequent electronic data collection of patient views of quality improvements; (iii) efficient feedback to the health-care decision makers; and (iv) active involvement of consumers that fosters power to influence health system changes. © 2018 The Authors Health Expectations published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Cardiovascular health promotion and consumers with mental illness in Australia.

PubMed

Happell, Brenda; Platania-Phung, Chris

2015-04-01

People with serious mental illness (SMI) have increased risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death, yet research on nurse-provided health promotion in mental health services remains under-developed. This paper informs efforts to improve the nursing role in physical health of consumers with SMI by establishing what nurse perceptions and background influence their care. Members of the Australian College of Mental Health Nursing were invited to participate in an online survey on their views on physical health care in mental health services. Survey questions included: (a) nurse-consumer collaboration in preventative care and (b) sub-sections of the Robson and Haddad Physical Health Attitude Scale to measure nurse perceived barriers to encouraging lifestyle change of consumers with SMI and frequency of nurse physical healthcare practices. Structural equation modelling was applied to investigate antecedents to physical health care, as well as relationships between antecedents. A national sample of 643 nurses reported regular engagement in health promotion (e.g. advice on diet). There was statistical support for a model depicting perceived consumer-nurse collaboration as a dual-determinant of nurse perceived barriers and self-reported health promotion to consumers with SMI. Perceived barriers to consumer lifestyle change did not predict health promotion. The effects of nurse-consumer collaboration were significant, but small. Perceived consumer-nurse collaboration in preventative care may positively influence the amount of health promotion by nurses in mental health. Perceived barriers to consumer adherence with a healthy lifestyle did not have an impact on nurse-delivered health promotion.

Hazardous Wastes and the Consumer Connection. A Guide for Educators and Citizens Concerned with the Role of Consumers in the Generation of Hazardous Wastes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Assaff, Edith

Many consumers do not see a strong connection between our lifestyles and buying decisions, and the amount of hazardous wastes generated in the United States. This guide was developed to be used by educators and citizens concerned with the role of consumers in the generation of hazardous wastes. It examines several products in terms of their…

Direct-to-consumer advertising and its utility in health care decision making: a consumer perspective.

PubMed

Deshpande, Aparna; Menon, Ajit; Perri, Matthew; Zinkhan, George

2004-01-01

The growth in direct-to-consumer advertising(DTCA)over the past two decades has facilitated the communication of prescription drug information directly to consumers. Data from a 1999 national survey are employed to determine the factors influencing consumers' opinions of the utility of DTC ads for health care decision making. We also analyze whether consumers use DTC ad information in health care decision making and who are the key drivers of such information utilization. The study results suggest that consumers have positive opinions of DTCA utility, varying across demographics and perceptions of certain advertisement features. Specifically, consumers value information about both risks and benefits, but the perception of risk information is more important in shaping opinions of ad utility than the perception of benefit information. Consumers still perceive, however that the quality of benefit information in DTC ads is better than that of risk information. Opinions about ad utility significantly influence whether information from DTC ads is used in health care decision making.

Uncovering patterns of technology use in consumer health informatics

PubMed Central

Hung, Man; Conrad, Jillian; Hon, Shirley D.; Cheng, Christine; Franklin, Jeremy D.; Tang, Philip

2014-01-01

Internet usage and accessibility has grown at a staggering rate, influencing technology use for healthcare purposes. The amount of health information technology (Health IT) available through the Internet is immeasurable and growing daily. Health IT is now seen as a fundamental aspect of patient care as it stimulates patient engagement and encourages personal health management. It is increasingly important to understand consumer health IT patterns including who is using specific technologies, how technologies are accessed, factors associated with use, and perceived benefits. To fully uncover consumer patterns it is imperative to recognize common barriers and which groups they disproportionately affect. Finally, exploring future demand and predictions will expose significant opportunities for health IT. The most frequently used health information technologies by consumers are gathering information online, mobile health (mHealth) technologies, and personal health records (PHRs). Gathering health information online is the favored pathway for healthcare consumers as it is used by more consumers and more frequently than any other technology. In regard to mHealth technologies, minority Americans, compared with White Americans utilize social media, mobile Internet, and mobile applications more frequently. Consumers believe PHRs are the most beneficial health IT. PHR usage is increasing rapidly due to PHR integration with provider health systems and health insurance plans. Key issues that have to be explicitly addressed in health IT are privacy and security concerns, health literacy, unawareness, and usability. Privacy and security concerns are rated the number one reason for the slow rate of health IT adoption. PMID:24904713

How consumers choose health insurance.

PubMed

Chakraborty, G; Ettenson, R; Gaeth, G

1994-01-01

The authors used choice-based conjoint analysis to model consumers' decision processes when evaluating and selecting health insurance in a multiplan environment. Results indicate that consumer choice is affected by as many as 19 attributes, some of which have received little attention in previous studies. Moreover, the importance of the attributes varies across different demographic segments, giving marketers several targeting opportunities.

Awakening consumer stewardship of health benefits: prevalence and differentiation of new health plan models.

PubMed

Rosenthal, Meredith; Milstein, Arnold

2004-08-01

Despite widespread publicity of consumer-directed health plans, little is known about their prevalence and the extent to which their designs adequately reflect and support consumerism. We examined three types of consumer-directed health plans: health reimbursement accounts (HRAs), premium-tiered, and point-of-care tiered benefit plans. We sought to measure the extent to which these plans had diffused, as well as to provide a critical look at the ways in which these plans support consumerism. Consumerism in this context refers to efforts to enable informed consumer choice and consumers' involvement in managing their health. We also wished to determine whether mainstream health plans-health maintenance organization (HMO), point of service (POS), and preferred provider organization (PPO) models-were being influenced by consumerism. Our study uses national survey data collected by Mercer Human Resource Consulting from 680 national and regional commercial health benefit plans on HMO, PPO, POS, and consumer-directed products. We defined consumer-directed products as health benefit plans that provided (1) consumer incentives to select more economical health care options, including self-care and no care, and (2) information and support to inform such selections. We asked health plans that offered consumer-directed products about 2003 enrollment, basic design features, and the availability of decision support. We also asked mainstream health plans about their activities that supported consumerism (e.g., proactive outreach to inform or influence enrollee behavior, such as self-management or preventive care, reminders sent to patients with identified medical conditions.) We analyzed survey responses for all four product lines in order to identify those plans that offer health reimbursement accounts (HRAs), premium-tiered, or point-of-care tiered models as well as efforts of mainstream health plans to engage informed consumer decision making. The majority of enrollees in

How do consumer leaders co-create value in mental health organisations?

PubMed

Scholz, Brett; Bocking, Julia; Happell, Brenda

2017-10-01

Objectives Contemporary mental health policies call for consumers to be involved in decision-making processes within mental health organisations. Some organisations have embraced leadership roles for consumers, but research suggests consumers remain disempowered within mental health services. Drawing on a service-dominant logic, which emphasises the co-creation of value of services, the present study provides an overview of consumer leadership within mental health organisations in the Australian Capital Territory. Methods Mental health organisations subscribing to the local peak body mailing list were invited to complete a survey about consumer leadership. Survey data were summarised using descriptive statistics and interpreted through the lens of service-dominant logic. Results Ways in which organisations may create opportunities for consumers to co-create value within their mental health services included soliciting feedback, involving consumer leaders in service design, having consumer leaders involved in hiring decisions and employing consumer leaders as staff or on boards. Strategies that organisations used to develop consumer leaders included induction, workshops and training in a variety of organisational processes and skills. Conclusions The findings of the present study extend the application of a service-dominant logic framework to consumer leadership within mental health organisations through consideration of the diverse opportunities that organisations can provide for consumer co-creation of service offerings. What is known about the topic? Policy calls for consumer involvement in all levels of mental health service planning, implementation and delivery. The extent to which service organisations have included consumer leaders varies, but research suggests that this inclusion can be tokenistic or that organisations choose to work with consumers who are less likely to challenge the status quo. Service literature has explored the way consumers can co

A questions-based investigation of consumer mental-health information.

PubMed

Crangle, Colleen E; Kart, Joyce Brothers

2015-01-01

Despite the wealth of mental-health information available online to consumers, research has shown that the mental-health information needs of consumers are not being met. This study contributes to that research by soliciting consumer questions directly, categorizing them, analyzing their form, and assessing the extent to which they can be answered from a trusted and vetted source of online information, namely the website of the US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). As an alternative to surveys and analyses of online activity, this study shows how consumer questions provide new insight into what consumers do not know and how they express their information needs. The study crowdsourced 100 consumer questions through Amazon Inc.'s Mechanical Turk. Categorization of the questions shows broad agreement with earlier studies in terms of the content of consumer questions. It also suggests that consumers' grasp of mental health issues may be low compared to other health topics. The majority of the questions (74%) were simple in form, with the remainder being multi-part, multifaceted or narrative. Even simple-form questions could, however, have complex interpretations. Fifty four questions were submitted to the search box at the NIMH website. For 32 questions, no answer could be found in the top one to three documents returned. Inadequacies in the search and retrieval technology deployed at websites account for some of the failure to find answers. The nature of consumer questions in mental health also plays a role. A question that has a false presupposition is less likely to have an answer in trusted and vetted sources of information. Consumer questions are also expressed with a degree of specificity that makes the retrieval of relevant information difficult. The significance of this study is that it shows what an analysis of consumer mental-health questions can tell us about consumer information needs and it provides new insight into the difficulties facing

Consumer-driven health care: tangible employer actions.

PubMed

Beauregard, Thomas R

2004-01-01

In response to double-digit health care cost increases, leading employers are aiming aggressive strategies at changing participant and provider behaviors--strategies that go well beyond the narrow idea of a new cost-sharing design. This article describes the elements of a comprehensive consumer-driven health care strategy and provides examples of tangible consumer-driven health care initiatives in the areas of design, pricing, contracting, support and public policy.

Social media in health--what are the safety concerns for health consumers?

PubMed

Lau, Annie Y S; Gabarron, Elia; Fernandez-Luque, Luis; Armayones, Manuel

Recent literature has discussed the unintended consequences of clinical information technologies (IT) on patient safety, yet there has been little discussion about the safety concerns in the area of consumer health IT. This paper presents a range of safety concerns for consumers in social media, with a case study on YouTube. We conducted a scan of abstracts on 'quality criteria' related to YouTube. Five areas regarding the safety of YouTube for consumers were identified: (a) harmful health material targeted at consumers (such as inappropriate marketing of tobacco or direct-to-consumer drug advertising); (b) public display of unhealthy behaviour (such as people displaying self-injury behaviours or hurting others); (c) tainted public health messages (i.e. the rise of negative voices against public health messages); (d) psychological impact from accessing inappropriate, offensive or biased social media content; and (e) using social media to distort policy and research funding agendas. The examples presented should contribute to a better understanding about how to promote a safe consumption and production of social media for consumers, and an evidence-based approach to designing social media interventions for health. The potential harm associated with the use of unsafe social media content on the Internet is a major concern. More empirical and theoretical studies are needed to examine how social media influences consumer health decisions, behaviours and outcomes, and devise ways to deter the dissemination of harmful influences in social media.

Consumer Law Guide

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-06-01

Consumer Finance Act by making short-term advances to customers who write personal checks in return for substantially smaller amounts of on-the-spot case...practices lawsuit with H&R Block, Inc. forcing tax return company to advertise its "Rapid Refund" program is actually a loan program charging customers ...home equity loans/lines of credit/home improvement loans, etc.) 2. A consumer can have only 9M principal dwelling at a time (includes mobile homes

Consumer sexual relationships in a forensic mental health hospital: perceptions of nurses and consumers.

PubMed

Quinn, Chris; Happell, Brenda

2015-04-01

The management of consumer-related risk is paramount in a secure forensic mental health facility. However, the consequent risk aversion presents a major barrier to consumers forming sexual relationships in a manner that is open and accepted. Investigation of the views of nurses working in forensic mental health settings on this topic is limited, and even more so for consumers of services. This qualitative exploratory study was undertaken to elicit the views of consumers and nurses about forming sexual relationships within this long-term and secure setting. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 nurses and 10 consumers. The benefits of, and barriers to, sexual relationships was identified as a major theme, and these findings are the focus of this paper. Nurse responses included the subthemes 'supportive factors' and 'potential dangers', reflecting their qualified support. Consumer responses included the subthemes 'therapeutic', 'feeling normal', 'restrictions and barriers', and 'lack of support and secrecy'. The importance of sexual relationships was clearly articulated, as was the difficulties in forming and maintaining them within the forensic setting. More open discussion about this commonly-avoided issue and the education of nurses and other health professionals is required. © 2014 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Consumer preferences in social health insurance.

PubMed

Kerssens, Jan J; Groenewegen, Peter P

2005-03-01

Allowing consumers greater choice of health plans is believed to be the key to high quality and low costs in social health insurance. This study investigates consumer preferences (361 persons, response rate 43%) for hypothetical health plans which differed in 12 characteristics (premium, deductibles, no-claim discount, extension of insurance and financial services, red tape involved, medical help-desk, choice of family physicians and hospitals, dental benefits, physical therapy benefits, benefits for prescription drugs and homeopathy). In 90% the health plan with the most attractive characteristics was preferred, indicating a predominantly rational kind of choice. The most decisive characteristics for preference were: complete dental benefits, followed by zero deductibles, and free choice of hospitals.

Consumer-led health-related online sources and their impact on consumers: An integrative review of the literature.

PubMed

Laukka, Elina; Rantakokko, Piia; Suhonen, Marjo

2017-04-01

The aim of the review was to describe consumer-led health-related online sources and their impact on consumers. The review was carried out as an integrative literature review. Quantisation and qualitative content analysis were used as the analysis method. The most common method used by the included studies was qualitative content analysis. This review identified the consumer-led health-related online sources used between 2009 and 2016 as health-related online communities, health-related social networking sites and health-related rating websites. These sources had an impact on peer support; empowerment; health literacy; physical, mental and emotional wellbeing; illness management; and relationships between healthcare organisations and consumers. The knowledge of the existence of the health-related online sources provides healthcare organisations with an opportunity to listen to their consumers' 'voice'. The sources make healthcare consumers more competent actors in relation to healthcare, and the knowledge of them is a valuable resource for healthcare organisations. Additionally, these health-related online sources might create an opportunity to reduce the need for drifting among the healthcare services. Healthcare policymakers and organisations could benefit from having a strategy of increasing their health-related online sources.

A questions-based investigation of consumer mental-health information

PubMed Central

Kart, Joyce Brothers

2015-01-01

Despite the wealth of mental-health information available online to consumers, research has shown that the mental-health information needs of consumers are not being met. This study contributes to that research by soliciting consumer questions directly, categorizing them, analyzing their form, and assessing the extent to which they can be answered from a trusted and vetted source of online information, namely the website of the US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). As an alternative to surveys and analyses of online activity, this study shows how consumer questions provide new insight into what consumers do not know and how they express their information needs. The study crowdsourced 100 consumer questions through Amazon Inc.’s Mechanical Turk. Categorization of the questions shows broad agreement with earlier studies in terms of the content of consumer questions. It also suggests that consumers’ grasp of mental health issues may be low compared to other health topics. The majority of the questions (74%) were simple in form, with the remainder being multi-part, multifaceted or narrative. Even simple-form questions could, however, have complex interpretations. Fifty four questions were submitted to the search box at the NIMH website. For 32 questions, no answer could be found in the top one to three documents returned. Inadequacies in the search and retrieval technology deployed at websites account for some of the failure to find answers. The nature of consumer questions in mental health also plays a role. A question that has a false presupposition is less likely to have an answer in trusted and vetted sources of information. Consumer questions are also expressed with a degree of specificity that makes the retrieval of relevant information difficult. The significance of this study is that it shows what an analysis of consumer mental-health questions can tell us about consumer information needs and it provides new insight into the difficulties facing

Awakening Consumer Stewardship of Health Benefits: Prevalence and Differentiation of New Health Plan Models

PubMed Central

Rosenthal, Meredith; Milstein, Arnold

2004-01-01

Context Despite widespread publicity of consumer-directed health plans, little is known about their prevalence and the extent to which their designs adequately reflect and support consumerism. Objective We examined three types of consumer-directed health plans: health reimbursement accounts (HRAs), premium-tiered, and point-of-care tiered benefit plans. We sought to measure the extent to which these plans had diffused, as well as to provide a critical look at the ways in which these plans support consumerism. Consumerism in this context refers to efforts to enable informed consumer choice and consumers' involvement in managing their health. We also wished to determine whether mainstream health plans—health maintenance organization (HMO), point of service (POS), and preferred provider organization (PPO) models—were being influenced by consumerism. Data Sources/Study Setting Our study uses national survey data collected by Mercer Human Resource Consulting from 680 national and regional commercial health benefit plans on HMO, PPO, POS, and consumer-directed products. Study Design We defined consumer-directed products as health benefit plans that provided (1) consumer incentives to select more economical health care options, including self-care and no care, and (2) information and support to inform such selections. We asked health plans that offered consumer-directed products about 2003 enrollment, basic design features, and the availability of decision support. We also asked mainstream health plans about their activities that supported consumerism (e.g., proactive outreach to inform or influence enrollee behavior, such as self-management or preventive care, reminders sent to patients with identified medical conditions.) Data Collection/Extraction Methods We analyzed survey responses for all four product lines in order to identify those plans that offer health reimbursement accounts (HRAs), premium-tiered, or point-of-care tiered models as well as efforts of

Child Health Champion Resource Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. Office of Administrator.

This resource guide was developed as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Child Health Champion Campaign, a program designed to empower local citizens and communities to take steps toward protecting their children from environmental health threats. The guide includes descriptions of 241 resources that may be of interest to…

Social Studies Resource Supplement to the Consumer Education Curriculum Guide for Ohio.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Dept. of Education, Columbus. Div. of Vocational Education.

The active involvement of students in a study of the customs, traditions, and institutionalized ways society has organized to preserve economic stability is the goal of this consumer education teaching guide. Designed for the use of social studies teachers, units are devoted to the studies of: (1) the economic system; (2) income procurement; (3)…

Consumer Education: A Teaching-Learning Unit on the Rights and Responsibilities of all Consumers and Special Problems of Elderly Consumers, Poor Consumers, Handicapped Consumers, Non-English Speaking Consumers and Nonreaders, Minors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tennessee Univ., Knoxville.

To help high school students understand the role of consumers in the everyday world, the teaching guide presents objectives and activities related to seven consumer topics. Topics are rights and responsibilities of all consumers, common transportation concerns of consumers with special problems, and problems which particularly affect consumers who…

Let's put consumers in charge of health care.

PubMed

Herzlinger, Regina E

2002-07-01

Businesses spend billions on health insurance. And what do they get for their money? A lot of unhappy employees. Workers fret about the quality of the care they receive, the burden of their out-of-pocket expenses, and the gaps in their coverage. For businesses, health care has become a lose-lose proposition: They pay way too much, and they get way too little. The problem is that the health care industry has been shielded from consumer pressure--by employers, insurers, and the government. As a result, costs have exploded even as choices have narrowed. But if companies embrace a new model of health coverage--one that places control over both costs and care directly into the hands of employees--the competitive forces that spur productivity and innovation in consumer markets can be loosed upon the inefficient, tradition-bound health care system. Moving to consumer-driven health care requires that companies revamp their health benefits in six ways: Give employees incentives to shop intelligently; offer a real choice of insurance plans; charge employees prices that accurately reflect the company's costs; let providers set their own prices; adjust payments for each enrollee based on need; and provide relevant information. Putting consumers in charge of health care may seem like a radical approach. But individuals are highly motivated to educate themselves about their health, their insurance, and their care, and they want to seek the most value for their money. Promoting that economic dynamic--the same that fuels consumer markets everywhere--is the best way to enhance the health care industry's productivity and quality.

Breaking through the Glass Ceiling: Consumers in Mental Health Organisations' Hierarchies.

PubMed

Scholz, Brett; Bocking, Julia; Happell, Brenda

2017-05-01

Contemporary mental health policies call for consumers to be engaged in all levels of mental health service planning, implementation, and delivery. Critical approaches to traditional healthcare hierarchies can effectively challenge barriers to better engagement with consumers in mental health organisations. This qualitative exploratory study analyses how particular strategies for consumer leadership facilitate or hinder relationships between consumers and mental health services, and how these strategies influence hierarchical structures. Fourteen participants from a range of mental health organisations were interviewed. These interviews were analysed using thematic analytic and discursive psychological techniques. The findings highlight several benefits of having consumers within mental health organisational hierarchies, and elaborate on ways that employees within mental health services can support integration of consumers into existing hierarchies. Specific barriers to consumers in hierarchies are discussed, including a lack of clarity of structures and roles within hierarchies, and resistance to consumers reaching the highest levels of leadership within organisations. Alternative hierarchical models which privilege consumers' control over resources and power are also discussed. Mental health organisations are encouraged to integrate consumer leaders into their hierarchical structures to improve their organisational offerings, their reputation, and their service innovation.

Consumers, health insurance and dominated choices.

PubMed

Sinaiko, Anna D; Hirth, Richard A

2011-03-01

We analyze employee health plan choices when the choice set offered by their employer includes a dominated plan. During our study period, one-third of workers were enrolled in the dominated plan. Some may have selected the plan before it was dominated and then failed to switch out of it. However, a substantial number actively chose the dominated plan when they had an unambiguously better choice. These results suggest limitations in the ability of health reform based solely on consumer choice to achieve efficient outcomes and that implementation of health reform should anticipate, monitor and account for this consumer behavior. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Health care report cards: what about consumers' perspectives?

PubMed

McGee, J; Knutson, D

1994-10-01

Though the report card style is seen by many as a way to create better-informed consumers, very little is actually known about how consumers will respond to health care report cards. Report cards are only one of many factors that influence health care decision making. Much consumer-oriented effort and fine-tuning will be required to make report cards effective. Using the approach called "social marketing" as a framework, specific examples are used to outline some ideas for more intensive pursuit of consumers' perspectives in the design and distribution of report cards.

Developing Informatics Tools and Strategies for Consumer-centered Health Communication

PubMed Central

Keselman, Alla; Logan, Robert; Smith, Catherine Arnott; Leroy, Gondy; Zeng-Treitler, Qing

2008-01-01

As the emphasis on individuals' active partnership in health care grows, so does the public's need for effective, comprehensible consumer health resources. Consumer health informatics has the potential to provide frameworks and strategies for designing effective health communication tools that empower users and improve their health decisions. This article presents an overview of the consumer health informatics field, discusses promising approaches to supporting health communication, and identifies challenges plus direction for future research and development. The authors' recommendations emphasize the need for drawing upon communication and social science theories of information behavior, reaching out to consumers via a range of traditional and novel formats, gaining better understanding of the public's health information needs, and developing informatics solutions for tailoring resources to users' needs and competencies. This article was written as a scholarly outreach and leadership project by members of the American Medical Informatics Association's Consumer Health Informatics Working Group. PMID:18436895

Continuing challenges for the mental health consumer workforce: a role for mental health nurses?

PubMed

Cleary, Michelle; Horsfall, Jan; Hunt, Glenn E; Escott, Phil; Happell, Brenda

2011-12-01

The aim of this paper is to discuss issues impacting on consumer workforce participation and challenges that continue to arise for these workers, other service providers, and the mental health system. The literature identifies the following issues as problematic: role confusion and role strain; lack of support, training, and supervision structures; job titles that do not reflect actual work; poor and inconsistent pay; overwork; limited professional development; insufficient organizational adaptation to expedite consumer participation; staff discrimination and stigma; dual relationships; and the need to further evaluate consumer workforce contributions. These factors adversely impact on the emotional well-being of the consumer workforce and might deprive them of the support required for the consumer participation roles to impact on service delivery. The attitudes of mental health professionals have been identified as a significant obstacle to the enhancement of consumer participation and consumer workforce roles, particularly in public mental health services. A more comprehensive understanding of consumer workforce roles, their benefits, and the obstacles to their success should become integral to the education and training provided to the mental health nursing workforce of the future to contribute to the development of a more supportive working environment to facilitate the development of effective consumer roles. © 2011 The Authors. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing © 2011 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Food-related lifestyle and health attitudes of Dutch vegetarians, non-vegetarian consumers of meat substitutes, and meat consumers.

PubMed

Hoek, Annet C; Luning, Pieternel A; Stafleu, Annette; de Graaf, Cees

2004-06-01

The aim was to investigate socio-demographic characteristics, and attitudes to food and health of vegetarians, non-vegetarian consumers of meat substitutes, and meat consumers in The Netherlands. The sample used for this study (participants > or =18 years) was taken from the Dutch National Food Consumption Survey, 1997/1998. Vegetarians (n = 63) and consumers of meat substitutes (n = 39) had similar socio-demographic profiles: higher education levels, higher social economic status, smaller households, and more urbanised residential areas, compared to meat consumers (n = 4313). Attitudes to food were assessed by the food-related lifestyle instrument. We found that vegetarians (n = 32) had more positive attitudes towards importance of product information, speciality shops, health, novelty, ecological products, social event, and social relationships than meat consumers (n = 1638). The health consciousness scale, which was used to assess attitudes to health, supported earlier findings that vegetarians are more occupied by health. Food-related lifestyle and health attitudes of meat substitute consumers (n = 17) were predominantly in-between those from vegetarians and meat consumers. The outcome of this study suggests that in strategies to promote meat substitutes for non-vegetarian consumers, the focus should not only be on health and ecological aspects of foods.

Interventions for enhancing consumers' online health literacy.

PubMed

Car, Josip; Lang, Britta; Colledge, Anthea; Ung, Chuin; Majeed, Azeem

2011-06-15

Access to health information is critical to enable consumers to participate in decisions on health. Increasingly, such information is accessed via the internet, but a number of barriers prevent consumers making effective use of it. These barriers include inadequate skills to search, evaluate and use the information. It has not yet been demonstrated whether training consumers to use the internet for health information can result in positive health outcomes. To assess the effects of interventions for enhancing consumers' online health literacy (skills to search, evaluate and use online health information). We searched: the Cochrane Consumers and Communication Review Group Specialised Register; Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library, Issue 1 2008); MEDLINE (Ovid); EMBASE (Ovid); CINAHL (Dialog); ERIC (CSA Illumina); LISA (CSA Illumina); PsycINFO (Ovid); Index to scientific and technical proceedings; SIGLE; ASLIB Index to Theses; ProQuest Dissertation Abstracts; National Research Register/UK CRN Portfolio database; Current Controlled Trials - MetaRegister of Controlled Trials. We searched all databases for the period January 1990 to March 2008. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs), cluster RCTs and associated economic evaluations, quasi-RCTs, interrupted time series analyses, and controlled before and after (CBA) studies assessing interventions to enhance consumers' online health literacy, in any language. Two review authors independently selected studies for inclusion, assessed their quality and extracted data. We contacted study authors for clarification and to seek missing data. We presented results as a narrative and tabular summary, and calculated mean differences where appropriate. We included two studies: one randomised controlled trial (RCT) and one controlled before and after (CBA) study with a combined total of 470 participants. The RCT compared internet health information classes with patient education classes for

Beyond consumer-driven health care: purchasers' expectations of all plans.

PubMed

Lee, Peter V; Hoo, Emma

2006-01-01

Skyrocketing health care costs and quality deficits can only be addressed through a broad approach of quality-based benefit design. Consumer-directed health plans that are built around better consumer information tools and support hold the promise of consumer engagement, but purchasers expect these features in all types of health plans. Regardless of plan type, simply shifting costs to consumers is a threat to access and adherence to evidence-based medicine. Comparative and interactive consumer information tools, coupled with provider performance transparency and payment reform, are needed to advance accountability and support consumers in getting the right care at the right time.

Teacher's Guide, Health. Grade 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bui huy Bao; And Others

This is the teaching guide accompanying the elementary health instructional program designed for children at the first grade level in Vietnam. The goal is to integrate the school program with the realities of the health conditions in the community. The teaching method outlined in the guide is based on three principals: (1) preparation at home, (2)…

Consumer involvement in mental health education for health professionals: feasibility and support for the role.

PubMed

Happell, Brenda; Bennetts, Wanda; Platania-Phung, Chris; Tohotoa, Jenny

2015-12-01

To explore factors impacting on the feasibility of academic and educator roles for consumers of mental health services. The supports required to facilitate these roles from the perspectives of mental health nurse academics and consumer educators/academics will also be explored. Involving consumers in the education of health professionals is becoming more common. Frequently this strategy is viewed as important to influence the attitudes of health professionals towards consumer participation in mental health services. There remains a paucity of research about these roles and the factors which promote and support their feasibility. Qualitative exploratory. In-depth telephone interviews were undertaken with 34 nurse academics and 12 consumer educators or academics. Participants included nurse academics coordinating undergraduate and postgraduate mental health subjects, and consumer academics and educators involved in teaching mental health nursing components. Interviews were 20-45 minutes in duration. Data were analysed thematically. Four subthemes were identified under the broad theme of feasibility and support: Reliability, support, vulnerability and seen to be griping. Significant barriers were identified by nurses and consumers to effective consumer involvement, largely reflecting the impact of mental health challenges. Despite this, there was little evidence of structured support being available to enhance the viability of these positions. Involving consumers in the education of health professionals through teaching, curriculum development, assessment and evaluation, is likely to enhance consumer participation in mental health services and ultimately improve service delivery. This involvement needs to be genuine to be effective. Consumers are often viewed as unreliable, vulnerable and using education to voice their own negative experiences. These issues and lack of support provided pose major barriers to successful roles, strategies to overcome barriers and

European consumers and health claims: attitudes, understanding and purchasing behaviour.

PubMed

Wills, Josephine M; Storcksdieck genannt Bonsmann, Stefan; Kolka, Magdalena; Grunert, Klaus G

2012-05-01

Health claims on food products are often used as a means to highlight scientifically proven health benefits associated with consuming those foods. But do consumers understand and trust health claims? This paper provides an overview of recent research on consumers and health claims including attitudes, understanding and purchasing behaviour. A majority of studies investigated selective product-claim combinations, with ambiguous findings apart from consumers' self-reported generic interest in health claims. There are clear indications that consumer responses differ substantially according to the nature of carrier product, the type of health claim, functional ingredient used or a combination of these components. Health claims tend to be perceived more positively when linked to a product with an overall positive health image, whereas some studies demonstrate higher perceived credibility of products with general health claims (e.g. omega-3 and brain development) compared to disease risk reduction claims (e.g. bioactive peptides to reduce risk of heart disease), others report the opposite. Inconsistent evidence also exists on the correlation between having a positive attitude towards products with health claims and purchase intentions. Familiarity with the functional ingredient and/or its claimed health effect seems to result in a more favourable evaluation. Better nutritional knowledge, however, does not automatically lead to a positive attitude towards products carrying health messages. Legislation in the European Union requires that the claim is understood by the average consumer. As most studies on consumers' understanding of health claims are based on subjective understanding, this remains an area for more investigation.

Convergence of service, policy, and science toward consumer-driven mental health care.

PubMed

Carroll, Christopher D; Manderscheid, Ronald W; Daniels, Allen S; Compagni, Amelia

2006-12-01

A common theme is emerging in sentinel reports on the United States health care system. Consumer relevance and demands on service systems and practices are influencing how mental health care is delivered and how systems will be shaped in the future. The present report seeks to assemble a confluence of consumer-driven themes from noteworthy reports on the state of the mental health system in the U.S. It also explores innovative efforts, promising practices, collaborative efforts, as well as identification of barriers to consumer-directed care, with possible solutions. The report reviews the relevant public mental health policy and data used in published work. The findings indicate an increasing public and private interest in promoting consumer-driven care, even though historical systems of care predominate, and often create, barriers to wide-spread redesign of a consumer-centered mental health care system. Innovative consumer-driven practices are increasing as quality, choice, and self-determination become integral parts of a redesigned U.S. mental health care system. The use of consumer-driven approaches in mental health is limited at best. These programs challenge industry norms and traditional practices. Limitations include the need for additional and thorough evaluations of effectiveness (cost and clinical) and replicability of consumer-directed programs. Consumer-driven services indicate that mental health consumers are expecting to be more participative in their mental health care. This expectation will influence how traditional mental health services and providers become more consumer-centric and meet the demand. Public and private interest in consumer-driven health care range from creating cost-conscious consumers to individualized control of recovery. The health care sector should seek to invest more resources in the provision of consumer-driven health care programs. The results of this study have implications and are informative for other countries where

Consumer involvement in the health technology assessment program.

PubMed

Royle, Jane; Oliver, Sandy

2004-01-01

This study aims to describe a cycle of development leading to sustainable methods for involving consumers in the management of a program commissioning health technology assessment. Staff time was dedicated to developing procedures for recruiting and briefing consumers to participate in prioritizing, commissioning, and reporting research. Resources and support were developed in light of early feedback from consumers and those working with them. These were piloted and amended before being used routinely. Over 4 years, procedures and resources have been developed to support six consumers attending seven to eight prioritization meetings a year; thirty to forty-five consumers each year commenting on research need for particular topics; thirty consumers a year commenting on research proposals, and twenty a year commenting on research reports. The procedures include clear job descriptions, induction and development days, clear briefing materials, payment for substantial tasks, and regularly seeking feedback to improve procedures. Explicit, inclusive, and reproducible methods for supporting consumer involvement that satisfy National Health Service policy recommendations for involving consumers in research require dedicated staff time to support a cycle of organizational development.

Consumers' health-related perceptions of bread - Implications for labeling and health communication.

PubMed

Sandvik, Pernilla; Nydahl, Margaretha; Kihlberg, Iwona; Marklinder, Ingela

2018-02-01

There is a wide variety of commercial bread types and the present study identifies potential pitfalls in consumer evaluations of bread from a health perspective. The aim is to describe consumers' health-related perceptions of bread by exploring which health-related quality attributes consumers associate with bread and whether there are differences with regard to age, gender and education level. A postal and web-based sequential mixed-mode survey (n = 1134, 62% responded online and 38% by paper) with open-ended questions and an elicitation task with pictures of commercial breads were used. Responses were content analyzed and inductively categorized. Three fourths (n = 844) knew of breads they considered healthy; these were most commonly described using terms such as "coarse," "whole grain," "fiber rich," "sourdough," "crisp," "less sugar," "dark," "rye," "seeds," "a commercial brand," "homemade" and "kernels." The breads were perceived as healthy mainly because they "contain fiber," are "good for the stomach," have good "satiation" and beneficial "glycemic properties." The frequency of several elicited attributes and health effects differed as a function of age group (18-44 vs. 45-80 years), gender and education level group (up to secondary education vs. university). Difficulties identifying healthy bread were perceived as a barrier for consumption especially among consumers with a lower education level. Several of the health effects important to consumers cannot be communicated on food packages and consumers must therefore use their own cues to identify these properties. This may lead to consumers being misled especially if a bread is labeled e.g., as a sourdough bread or a rye bread, despite a low content. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consumer Issues and Action--One of a Series in Expanded Programs of Consumer Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mendenhall, James E.

This module, one in a series relating to consumer education, is intended as a teaching guide. Topics covered by the guide are: What Should Consumers Know and Do in Order to Get Their Money's Worth?; What Should Consumers Know and Do about Advertising?; What Should Consumers Know and Do about Product Warranties?; What Should Consumers Know and Do…

Evaluation of Consumer Health Training and Education Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kellogg, Muriel; And Others

PL89-749, passed in 1966, included a number of provisions for increasing participation of consumers in the improvement of the health care delivery system, including development of training programs to equip consumers for participation in the health planning process. The evaluation attempts to ascertain the direct effect of training programs on…

Managing physical and mental health conditions: Consumer perspectives on integrated care.

PubMed

Rollins, Angela L; Wright-Berryman, Jennifer; Henry, Nancy H; Quash, Alicia M; Benbow, Kyle; Bonfils, Kelsey A; Hedrick, Heidi; Miller, Alex P; Firmin, Ruthie; Salyers, Michelle P

2017-01-01

Despite the growing trend of integrating primary care and mental health services, little research has documented how consumers with severe mental illnesses manage comorbid conditions or view integrated services. We sought to better understand how consumers perceive and manage both mental and physical health conditions and their views of integrated services. We conducted semi-structured interviews with consumers receiving primary care services integrated in a community mental health setting. Consumers described a range of strategies to deal with physical health conditions and generally viewed mental and physical health conditions as impacting one another. Consumers viewed integration of primary care and mental health services favorably, specifically its convenience, friendliness and knowledge of providers, and collaboration between providers. Although integration was viewed positively, consumers with SMI may need a myriad of strategies and supports to both initiate and sustain lifestyle changes that address common physical health problems.

The role of affect in consumer evaluation of health care services.

PubMed

Ng, Sandy; Russell-Bennett, Rebekah

2015-01-01

Health care services are typically consumed out of necessity, typically to recover from illness. While the consumption of health care services can be emotional given that consumers experience fear, hope, relief, and joy, surprisingly, there is little research on the role of consumer affect in health care consumption. We propose that consumer affect is a heuristic cue that drives evaluation of health care services. Drawing from cognitive appraisal theory and affect-as-information theory, this article tests a research model (N = 492) that investigates consumer affect resulting from service performance on subsequent service outcomes.

Recovery-promoting professional competencies: perspectives of mental health consumers, consumer-providers and providers.

PubMed

Russinova, Zlatka; Rogers, E Sally; Ellison, Marsha Langer; Lyass, Asya

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to empirically validate a set of conceptually derived recovery-promoting competencies from the perspectives of mental health consumers, consumer-providers and providers. A national sample of 603 consumers, 153 consumer-providers and 239 providers completed an anonymous survey via the Internet. The survey evaluated respondents' perceptions about a set of 37 competencies hypothesized to enhance clients' hope and empowerment and inquired about interactions with providers that enhanced clients' recovery process. We used descriptive statistics and ranking to establish the relevance of each competency and generalized linear models and post-hoc tests to examine differences in the consumers', consumer-providers' and providers' assessments of these competencies. Analyses confirmed the recovery relevance of several competencies and their relative importance within each group of study participants. They also revealed that while most competencies tended to have universal significance, others depended more strongly on the client's preferences. Finally, differences in the perceptions of consumers, consumer-providers and providers about the recovery relevance of these competencies were established. The study highlighted the crucial role practitioners play in enhancing recovery from serious mental illnesses through specific strategies and attitudes that acknowledge clients' personhood and foster their hopefulness, empowerment and illness management. It informed the development of a new instrument measuring providers' recovery-promoting competence and provides guidelines for sharpening the recovery focus of a wide range of mental health and rehabilitation services.

Understanding consumer preferences for communication channels to create consumer-directed health promotion efforts in psychiatric rehabilitation settings.

PubMed

DiFranco, Evelina; Bressi, Sara K; Salzer, Mark S

2006-01-01

People with serious mental illnesses experience increased rates of physical illnesses. Drop-in centers and psychosocial rehabilitation programs can serve as important settings for health promotion efforts, but such efforts should utilize communication strategies that are used by consumers and are perceived to be reliable. Focus groups involving 23 consumers at drop-in centers in Philadelphia were conducted to assess the perceived usefulness of health information from a variety of sources. Consumers especially liked getting information from other people, including health care professionals, friends, and family, and found the information to be reliable and useful. Print literature, the Internet, and a library had various limitations. Respondents were generally unfamiliar with community health fairs and related events. Consumers considered trustworthiness, proximity and availability, and the specificity and depth of information provided by a communication source when getting health information. Implications for health promotion efforts are discussed.

Who chooses a consumer-directed health plan?

PubMed

Barry, Colleen L; Cullen, Mark R; Galusha, Deron; Slade, Martin D; Busch, Susan H

2008-01-01

Consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) hold the promise of reining in health spending by giving consumers a greater stake in health care purchasing, yet little is known about employers' experience with these products. In examining the characteristics of those selecting a CDHP offered by one large employer, we found stronger evidence of selection than has been identified in prior research. Our findings suggest that in the context of plan choice, CDHPs may offer little opportunity to greatly lower employers' cost burden, and they highlight concerns about the potential for risk segmentation and the value of conferring preferential tax treatment to CDHPs.

Who Chooses A Consumer-Directed Health Plan?

PubMed Central

Barry, Colleen L.; Cullen, Mark R.; Galusha, Deron; Slade, Martin D.; Busch, Susan H.

2012-01-01

Consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) hold the promise of reining in health spending by giving consumers a greater stake in health care purchasing, yet little is known about employers’ experience with these products. In examining the characteristics of those selecting a CDHP offered by one large employer, we found stronger evidence of selection than has been identified in prior research. Our findings suggest that in the context of plan choice, CDHPs may offer little opportunity to greatly lower employers’ cost burden, and they highlight concerns about the potential for risk segmentation and the value of conferring preferential tax treatment to CDHPs. PMID:18997225

HAPPIER: Health Resource Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennsylvania State Dept. of Education, Harrisburg.

Based on findings of Project HAPPIER surveys and intended as a resource for health care providers and educators who serve the migrant community, this guide describes over 375 instructional materials in the areas of dental health, disease control, fitness, health promotion, human growth and development, hypertension, maternal and child care, mental…

Toward the intelligent use of health care consumer surveys.

PubMed

Allen, H M

1995-01-01

Consumer surveys are at a pivotal moment in health care. With demand for consumer-supplied data escalating in every sector of the industry, current opportunities for consumer surveys to demonstrate unique value in the marketplace are unparalleled. These opportunities, however, carry considerable risks, particularly with respect to performance report cards for competing health plans and providers. As investigators multiply in an area notably lacking in standardization, the chances increase that surveys will arrive at conflicting assessments of plans and providers. To resolve these inconsistencies, users will need to sharpen their understanding of the role of consumer surveys, the business and operational needs they can address, and how their results can be affected by methodology. This article discusses each of these issues with an eye toward promoting intelligent use of consumer surveys in the health care marketplace.

Consumer-directed health plans: enrollee views, early employer experience.

PubMed

Frates, Janice; Severoni, Ellen

2005-06-01

Consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) are a new health insurance product that is of growing interest to employers who are struggling to cope with rising health insurance premium costs and to consumers who are desiring more choice and engagement in their health care. This paper presents the results of a study of California consumer awareness of, and attitudes toward, CDHPs in the context of several national surveys and the experiences of some early-adopting employers. California Health Decisions conducted a telephone survey of 800 insured adult California residents in November 2002. Few respondents had heard of CDHPs. They appealed more to younger, single, less educated, and healthier respondents and those who did not understand them well. The most attractive CDHP features were greater provider choice and health savings accounts' portability and flexibility. Concerns centered on personal financial exposure. While CDHPs' commercial market penetration is increasing, their greatest potential future contributions might be to reduce the number of uninsured Americans by offering an affordable health insurance product and to fund additional health services for retirees. As CDHPs further evolve, more consumer involvement in their refinement, implementation, and evaluation is essential.

Consumer Health Informatics: Empowering Healthy-Living-Seekers Through mHealth.

PubMed

Faiola, Anthony; Holden, Richard J

People are at risk from noncommunicable diseases (NCD) and poor health habits, with interventions like medications and surgery carrying further risk of adverse effects. This paper addresses ways people are increasingly moving to healthy living medicine (HLM) to mitigate such health threats. HLM-seekers increasingly leverage mobile technologies that enable control of personal health information, collaboration with clinicians/other agents to establish healthy living practices. For example, outcomes from consumer health informatics research include empowering users to take charge of their health through active participation in decision-making about healthcare delivery. Because the success of health technology depends on its alignment/integration with a person's sociotechnical system, we introduce SEIPS 2.0 as a useful conceptual model and analytic tool. SEIPS 2.0 approaches human work (i.e., life's effortful activities) within the complexity of the design and implementation of mHealth technologies and their potential to emerge as consumer-facing NLM products that support NCDs like diabetes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Consumer Perspectives on Information Needs for Health Plan Choice

PubMed Central

Gibbs, Deborah A.; Sangl, Judith A.; Burrus, Barri

1996-01-01

The premise that competition will improve health care assumes that consumers will choose plans that best fit their needs and resources. However, many consumers are frustrated with currently available plan comparison information. We describe results from 22 focus groups in which Medicare beneficiaries, Medicaid enrollees, and privately insured consumers assessed the usefulness of indicators based on consumer survey data and Health Employer Data Information Set (HEDIS)-type measures of quality of care. Considerable education would be required before consumers could interpret report card data to inform plan choices. Policy implications for design and provision of plan information for Medicare beneficiaries and Medicaid enrollees are discussed. PMID:10165037

Metrication: A Guide for Producers of Packaged Goods. Consumer Research Report No. 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Consumer and Corporate Affairs Dept., Ottawa (Ontario).

A guide on metrication, this document was developed to expose the perceived benefits to industry and the consumer of a conversion to the metric system, and to remove the anxieties associated with such a conversion. Presented are: (1) a summarized overview and background of the system, and trends relative to its widespread use, (2) examples of the…

V-TECS Guide for Health Care Assistant.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connell, Shirley

This health care assistant guide addresses the psychomotor, cognitive, and affective learning domains. Thirteen units in the guide cover the following subjects: (1) introducing health care workers and facilities; (2) assisting with examinations; (3) assisting with diagnostic tests; (4) providing health information and performing outreach…

Benefits of online health education: perception from consumers and health professionals.

PubMed

Win, Khin Than; Hassan, Naffisah Mohd; Bonney, Andrew; Iverson, Don

2015-03-01

With the advancement in technology and availability of the Internet, online health education could become one of the media for health education. As health education is to persuade patients on health behavioural change, understanding perceived benefits of online health education is an important aspect to explore. The aim of this study is to explore consumers and health professionals opinion on online health education. Literature review was conducted and identified the benefits of online health education (OHE). Survey was conducted to health consumers and health professionals. Descriptive analyses were performed using SPSS Version 19.0. The analysis of the literature has identified a set of 12 potential benefits of OHE which had been used to understand the perceptions of the effectiveness of OPE sites and these have been validated in the study. This study has the practical implication as the study identified OHE effectiveness, which definitely can assist health practitioners on health education, which can lead to better health outcome.

Developing an evaluation framework for consumer-centred collaborative care of depression using input from stakeholders.

PubMed

McCusker, Jane; Yaffe, Mark; Sussman, Tamara; Kates, Nick; Mulvale, Gillian; Jayabarathan, Ajantha; Law, Susan; Haggerty, Jeannie

2013-03-01

To develop a framework for research and evaluation of collaborative mental health care for depression, which includes attributes or domains of care that are important to consumers. A literature review on collaborative mental health care for depression was completed and used to guide discussion at an interactive workshop with pan-Canadian participants comprising people treated for depression with collaborative mental health care, as well as their family members; primary care and mental health practitioners; decision makers; and researchers. Thematic analysis of qualitative data from the workshop identified key attributes of collaborative care that are important to consumers and family members, as well as factors that may contribute to improved consumer experiences. The workshop identified an overarching theme of partnership between consumers and practitioners involved in collaborative care. Eight attributes of collaborative care were considered to be essential or very important to consumers and family members: respectfulness; involvement of consumers in treatment decisions; accessibility; provision of information; coordination; whole-person care; responsiveness to changing needs; and comprehensiveness. Three inter-related groups of factors may affect the consumer experience of collaborative care, namely, organizational aspects of care; consumer characteristics and personal resources; and community resources. A preliminary evaluation framework was developed and is presented here to guide further evaluation and research on consumer-centred collaborative mental health care for depression.

Mining Consumer Health Vocabulary from Community-Generated Text

PubMed Central

Vydiswaran, V.G. Vinod; Mei, Qiaozhu; Hanauer, David A.; Zheng, Kai

2014-01-01

Community-generated text corpora can be a valuable resource to extract consumer health vocabulary (CHV) and link them to professional terminologies and alternative variants. In this research, we propose a pattern-based text-mining approach to identify pairs of CHV and professional terms from Wikipedia, a large text corpus created and maintained by the community. A novel measure, leveraging the ratio of frequency of occurrence, was used to differentiate consumer terms from professional terms. We empirically evaluated the applicability of this approach using a large data sample consisting of MedLine abstracts and all posts from an online health forum, MedHelp. The results show that the proposed approach is able to identify synonymous pairs and label the terms as either consumer or professional term with high accuracy. We conclude that the proposed approach provides great potential to produce a high quality CHV to improve the performance of computational applications in processing consumer-generated health text. PMID:25954426

Provider and consumer perspectives of community mental health services: Implications for consumer-driven care.

PubMed

Kelly, Erin L; Davis, Lisa; Mendon, Sapna; Kiger, Holly; Murch, Lezlie; Pancake, Laura; Giambone, Leslie; Brekke, John S

2018-05-03

Public mental health services in the community are broad and continue to expand to address the multiple issues faced by those with serious mental illnesses. However, few studies examine and contrast how helpful consumers and providers find the spectrum of services. The present study examines the services at community mental health service clinics (CMHCs) from the perspectives of providers and consumers. There were 351 consumers and 147 providers from 15 CMHCs who rated and ranked the helpfulness of 24 types of common services. All of the agencies were participating in a Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN). Social support was the highest rated service by both types of respondents, and the creation of a welcoming environment was the highest ranked service by both. There were also areas of disagreement. Consumers identified traditional mental health services (individual therapy and medication services) as being most helpful to them whereas providers selected longer-term services that promote self-reliance (e.g., securing housing, and promoting self-sufficiency) as the most helpful. Understanding how consumers and providers perceive the range of CMHC services provided in usual care is important to develop new targets for intervention. A welcoming milieu and providing social support appear important to both, but significant differences exist between these groups regarding other aspects of services. This holds implications for the design and implementation of consumer-driven services. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Health Behaviours and Awareness of Canada's Food Guide: A Population-based Study.

PubMed

Mathe, Nonsikelelo; Agborsangaya, Calypse B; Loitz, Christina C; Johnson, Jeffrey A; Johnson, Steven T

2016-06-01

Lifestyle behaviours among adults reporting awareness of Canada's Food Guide (CFG) are described. Data from a cross-sectional survey of adults from Alberta were used to estimate the prevalence of reported health behaviours among respondents aware of the CFG. Respondents (n = 1044) reported general awareness of CFG (mean age 50.3 years; 54.2% female) of whom 82.2% reported awareness of specific CFG recommendations. Respondents reported frequently reading food labels (>58.0%), reading the number of calories (45.5%), the amount of sodium (49.5%), the amount of fat (46.7%), and the type of fat (45.5%) on the food label. Most respondents (90.0%) reported frequently selecting foods to promote health. Approximately one-third of the respondents (35.8%) reported frequently consuming ≥5 portions of vegetables and fruit per day and regularly participating in physical activity (55.3%). Body weight was perceived as healthy by 63.4% of the respondents. Most engaged in 2 health behaviours frequently. Adjusting for important socio-demographic characteristics, those who reported frequently consuming ≥5 portions of vegetables and fruit per day were more likely to engage in a second health behaviour outlined in CGF (OR: 23.6, 95% CI (16.2-34.4)). Awareness of CFG did not translate to positive health behaviours. More proactive population level strategies to support specific health behaviours as outlined in CFG might be warranted.

Physicians' and consumers' conflicting attitudes toward health care advertising.

PubMed

Krohn, F B; Flynn, C

2001-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to explore the conflicting attitudes held by physicians and health care consumers toward health care advertising in an attempt to resolve the question. The paper introduces the differing positions held by the two groups. The rationale behind physicians' attitudes is then presented that advertising can be unethical, misleading, deceptive, and lead to unnecessary price increases. They believe that word-of-mouth does and should play the major role in attracting new patients. The opposite view of consumers is then presented which contends that health care advertising leads to higher consumer awareness of services, better services, promotes competitive pricing, and lowers rather than raises health care costs. The final section of the paper compares the arguments presented and concludes that health care advertising clearly has a place in the health care industry.

Understanding determinants of consumer mobile health usage intentions, assimilation, and channel preferences.

PubMed

Rai, Arun; Chen, Liwei; Pye, Jessica; Baird, Aaron

2013-08-02

Consumer use of mobile devices as health service delivery aids (mHealth) is growing, especially as smartphones become ubiquitous. However, questions remain as to how consumer traits, health perceptions, situational characteristics, and demographics may affect consumer mHealth usage intentions, assimilation, and channel preferences. We examine how consumers' personal innovativeness toward mobile services (PIMS), perceived health conditions, health care availability, health care utilization, demographics, and socioeconomic status affect their (1) mHealth usage intentions and extent of mHealth assimilation, and (2) preference for mHealth as a complement or substitute for in-person doctor visits. Leveraging constructs from research in technology acceptance, technology assimilation, consumer behavior, and health informatics, we developed a cross-sectional online survey to study determinants of consumers' mHealth usage intentions, assimilation, and channel preferences. Data were collected from 1132 nationally representative US consumers and analyzed by using moderated multivariate regressions and ANOVA. The results indicate that (1) 430 of 1132 consumers in our sample (37.99%) have started using mHealth, (2) a larger quantity of consumers are favorable to using mHealth as a complement to in-person doctor visits (758/1132, 66.96%) than as a substitute (532/1132, 47.00%), and (3) consumers' PIMS and perceived health conditions have significant positive direct influences on mHealth usage intentions, assimilation, and channel preferences, and significant positive interactive influences on assimilation and channel preferences. The independent variables within the moderated regressions collectively explained 59.70% variance in mHealth usage intentions, 60.41% in mHealth assimilation, 34.29% in preference for complementary use of mHealth, and 45.30% in preference for substitutive use of mHealth. In a follow-up ANOVA examination, we found that those who were more favorable

A survey of public health and consumer health informatics programmes and courses in Canadian universities and colleges.

PubMed

Arocha, Jose F; Hoffman-Goetz, Laurie

2012-12-01

As information technology becomes more widely used by people for health-care decisions, training in consumer and public health informatics will be important for health practitioners working directly with the public. Using information from 74 universities and colleges across Canada, we searched websites and online calendars for programmes (undergraduate, graduate) regarding availability and scope of education in programmes, courses and topics geared to public health and/or consumer health informatics. Of the 74 institutions searched, 31 provided some content relevant to health informatics (HI) and 8 institutions offered full HI-related programmes. Of these 8 HI programmes, only 1 course was identified with content relevant to public health informatics and 1 with content about consumer health informatics. Some institutions (n  =  22) - which do not offer HI-degree programmes - provide health informatics-related courses, including one on consumer health informatics. We found few programmes, courses or topic areas within courses in Canadian universities and colleges that focus on consumer or public health informatics education. Given the increasing emphasis on personal responsibility for health and health-care decision-making, skills training for health professionals who help consumers navigate the Internet should be considered in health informatics education.

Health Curriculum Guide. Sixth Grade.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Syosset Central School District 2, NY.

GRADES OR AGES: Grade six. SUBJECT MATTER: Health education. ORGANIZATION AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: This guide is bound in a spiral binder and illustrated with drawings. It is divided into five "strands" or topics: Physical Health; Sociological Health Problems; Mental Health; Environmental and Community Health; and Education for Survival. There is…

Winter Survival: A Consumer's Guide to Winter Preparedness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

This booklet discusses a variety of topics to help consumers prepare for winter. Tips for the home include: winterizing the home, dealing with a loss of heat or power failure, and what you need to have on hand. Another section gives driving tips and what to do in a storm. Health factors include suggestions for keeping warm, signs and treatment for…

International Women and Health Resource Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Women's International and Communication Service, Carouge (Switzerland).

Information on women and health from around the world is provided in this guide. So far, no country has formal mechanisms through which women themselves can create the policies and practices so critical to their own health and that of their families. A major purpose of the guide is to assist the many women's initiatives attempting to change this…

Set up to fail? Consumer participation in the mental health service system.

PubMed

Stewart, Sarah; Watson, Sandy; Montague, Roslyn; Stevenson, Caroline

2008-10-01

The aim of this paper is to present the findings of a survey of consumers of mental health services who are working (in either paid or unpaid positions) in NSW Health and in the Non Government Organisation sector in NSW. A survey was distributed through the NSW Consumer Advisory Group newsletter to elicit the roles and assess the training needs of consumer employees, as well as those who were working in voluntary capacities as consumer representatives, within the mental health system in NSW. Many mental health consumers have been placed in the untenable position of being engaged in representation and/or advocacy roles with unclear job descriptions and no training. The majority of consumers want a code of ethics and performance standards for consumer workers. The rhetoric of consumer participation is not matched by effective and timely strategies that ensure that consumer involvement is underpinned by relevant training and supportive infrastructure. The goal of meaningful consumer participation in mental health services, as outlined in policy, is yet to be achieved.

System for Collecting, Analyzing, and Using Information on Institutional Consumer Protection Practices: Accreditation User Guide. Improving The Consumer Protection Function in Postsecondary Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jung, Steven M.; And Others

This accreditation user guide describes: (1) a set of institutional conditions, policies, and practices that are potentially abusive to students, and (2) a system for collecting, analyzing, and using quantitative data on these conditions, policies, and practices. Possible uses include: (1) setting consumer protection standards and goals that…

Food of Consuming Interest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saskatchewan Consumer and Commercial Affairs, Regina. Education and Communications Branch.

This guide is intended for use in a consumer education course designed to teach consumers to get the most out of their dollar when shopping for and preparing food. The kit is divided into a series of sections containing activities and fact sheets that are designed to guide the consumer through a successful shopping trip. The following topics are…

Transforming health care delivery through consumer engagement, health data transparency, and patient-generated health information.

PubMed

Sands, D Z; Wald, J S

2014-08-15

Address current topics in consumer health informatics. Literature review. Current health care delivery systems need to be more effective in the management of chronic conditions as the population turns older and experiences escalating chronic illness that threatens to consume more health care resources than countries can afford. Most health care systems are positioned poorly to accommodate this. Meanwhile, the availability of ever more powerful and cheaper information and communication technology, both for professionals and consumers, has raised the capacity to gather and process information, communicate more effectively, and monitor the quality of care processes. Adapting health care systems to serve current and future needs requires new streams of data to enable better self-management, improve shared decision making, and provide more virtual care. Changes in reimbursement for health care services, increased adoption of relevant technologies, patient engagement, and calls for data transparency raise the importance of patient-generated health information, remote monitoring, non-visit based care, and other innovative care approaches that foster more frequent contact with patients and better management of chronic conditions.

Integrating consumer engagement in health and medical research - an Australian framework.

PubMed

Miller, Caroline L; Mott, Kathy; Cousins, Michael; Miller, Stephanie; Johnson, Anne; Lawson, Tony; Wesselingh, Steve

2017-02-10

Quality practice of consumer engagement is still in its infancy in many sectors of medical research. The South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) identified, early in its development, the opportunity to integrate evidence-driven consumer and community engagement into its operations. SAHMRI partnered with Health Consumers Alliance and consumers in evidence generation. A Partnership Steering Committee of researchers and consumers was formed for the project. An iterative mixed-method qualitative process was used to generate a framework for consumer engagement. This process included a literature review followed by semi-structured interviews with experts in consumer engagement and lead medical researchers, group discussions and a consensus workshop with the Partnership Steering Committee, facilitated by Health Consumer Alliance. The literature revealed a dearth of evidence about effective consumer engagement methodologies. Four organisational dimensions are reported to contribute to success, namely governance, infrastructure, capacity and advocacy. Key themes identified through the stakeholder interviews included sustained leadership, tangible benefits, engagement strategies should be varied, resourcing, a moral dimension, and challenges. The consensus workshop produced a framework and tangible strategies. Comprehensive examples of consumer participation in health and medical research are limited. There are few documented studies of what techniques are effective. This evidence-driven framework, developed in collaboration with consumers, is being integrated in a health and medical research institute with diverse programs of research. This framework is offered as a contribution to the evidence base around meaningful consumer engagement and as a template for other research institutions to utilise.

Consumer Resource Guide: A Selected Bibliography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nyheim, Charlotte, Comp.; Smith-Hansgen, Sharon, Comp.

The selective bibliography contains over 1,000 citations of books, pamphlets, audiovisual materials, and teaching resources related to consumer education. It is designed not only for educators but also for individual consumers and members of consumer organizations. Contents are arranged by subject matter under ten general topics: consumer and the…

Interventions to assist health consumers to find reliable online health information: a comprehensive review.

PubMed

Lee, Kenneth; Hoti, Kreshnik; Hughes, Jeffery D; Emmerton, Lynne M

2014-01-01

Health information on the Internet is ubiquitous, and its use by health consumers prevalent. Finding and understanding relevant online health information, and determining content reliability, pose real challenges for many health consumers. To identify the types of interventions that have been implemented to assist health consumers to find reliable online health information, and where possible, describe and compare the types of outcomes studied. PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL Plus and Cochrane Library databases; WorldCat and Scirus 'gray literature' search engines; and manual review of reference lists of selected publications. Publications were selected by firstly screening title, abstract, and then full text. Seven publications met the inclusion criteria, and were summarized in a data extraction form. The form incorporated the PICOS (Population Intervention Comparators Outcomes and Study Design) Model. Two eligible gray literature papers were also reported. Relevant data from included studies were tabulated to enable descriptive comparison. A brief critique of each study was included in the tables. This review was unable to follow systematic review methods due to the paucity of research and humanistic interventions reported. While extensive, the gray literature search may have had limited reach in some countries. The paucity of research on this topic limits conclusions that may be drawn. The few eligible studies predominantly adopted a didactic approach to assisting health consumers, whereby consumers were either taught how to find credible websites, or how to use the Internet. Common types of outcomes studied include knowledge and skills pertaining to Internet use and searching for reliable health information. These outcomes were predominantly self-assessed by participants. There is potential for further research to explore other avenues for assisting health consumers to find reliable online health information, and to assess outcomes via objective measures.

Consumer Health Informatics--integrating patients, providers, and professionals online.

PubMed

Klein-Fedyshin, Michele S

2002-01-01

Consumer Health Informatics (CHI) means different things to patients, health professionals, and health care systems. A broader perspective on this new and rapidly developing field will enable us to understand and better apply its advances. This article provides an overview of CHI discussing its evolution and driving forces, along with advanced applications such as Personal Health Records, Internet transmission of personal health data, clinical e-mail, online pharmacies, and shared decision-making tools. Consumer Health Informatics will become integrated with medical care, electronic medical records, and patient education to impact the whole process and business of health care.

Consumer Behavior: Developing Skills for Assertiveness. Consumer Education Training Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thayer, Lou

The goal of this inservice guide for teaching consumer education at the secondary and adult level is to help consumers become more assertive when buying goods and services. A major section in the guide defines assertiveness. The four basic components of assertive behavior are the ability to express emotions openly, the capacity to exercise one's…

Consumer Education: A Conceptual Structure and Planning Guide for Senior High Schools in Wisconsin.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Appleton Public Schools, WI.

Prepared by junior and senior high teachers, the curriculum guide is an interdisciplinary approach by the business education, home economics, and social studies departments to a consumer education course. The initial development of materials was field tested and revised; a second-year field testing of the revised curriculum and a final analysis…

A user-centered model for designing consumer mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps).

PubMed

Schnall, Rebecca; Rojas, Marlene; Bakken, Suzanne; Brown, William; Carballo-Dieguez, Alex; Carry, Monique; Gelaude, Deborah; Mosley, Jocelyn Patterson; Travers, Jasmine

2016-04-01

Mobile technologies are a useful platform for the delivery of health behavior interventions. Yet little work has been done to create a rigorous and standardized process for the design of mobile health (mHealth) apps. This project sought to explore the use of the Information Systems Research (ISR) framework as guide for the design of mHealth apps. Our work was guided by the ISR framework which is comprised of 3 cycles: Relevance, Rigor and Design. In the Relevance cycle, we conducted 5 focus groups with 33 targeted end-users. In the Rigor cycle, we performed a review to identify technology-based interventions for meeting the health prevention needs of our target population. In the Design Cycle, we employed usability evaluation methods to iteratively develop and refine mock-ups for a mHealth app. Through an iterative process, we identified barriers and facilitators to the use of mHealth technology for HIV prevention for high-risk MSM, developed 'use cases' and identified relevant functional content and features for inclusion in a design document to guide future app development. Findings from our work support the use of the ISR framework as a guide for designing future mHealth apps. Results from this work provide detailed descriptions of the user-centered design and system development and have heuristic value for those venturing into the area of technology-based intervention work. Findings from this study support the use of the ISR framework as a guide for future mHealth app development. Use of the ISR framework is a potentially useful approach for the design of a mobile app that incorporates end-users' design preferences. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Financial coping strategies of mental health consumers: managing social benefits.

PubMed

Caplan, Mary Ager

2014-05-01

Mental health consumers depend on social benefits in the forms of supplemental security income and social security disability insurance for their livelihood. Although these programs pay meager benefits, little research has been undertaken into how this population makes ends meet. Using a qualitative approach, this study asks what are the financial coping strategies of mental health consumers? Seven approaches were identified: subsidies, cost-effective shopping, budgeting, prioritizing, technology, debt management, and saving money. Results illustrate the resourcefulness of mental health consumers in managing meager social benefits and highlight the need to strengthen community mental health efforts with financial capabilities education.

Minnesota Consumer Education Program. "Consumers of the 90s."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minnesota Council on Economic Education, Minneapolis.

This teacher's guide on consumer literacy for grades 9-12 is designed for use in the following subject areas: business education, consumer law, economics, home economics, and social studies. Four units are included: (1) consumer decision making--consumer law and protection; (2) major shopping areas--transportation dilemma; (3) housing; and (4)…

Health Occupations Cluster Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oregon State Dept. of Education, Salem.

Intended to assist the vocational teacher in designing and implementing a cluster program in health occupations, this guide suggests ideas for teaching the specific knowledge and skills that qualify students for entry-level employment in the health occupations field. The knowledge and skills are applicable to 12 occupations: dental assistant;…

"Coming from a different place": Partnerships between consumers and health services for system change.

PubMed

Scholz, Brett; Bocking, Julia; Banfield, Michelle; Platania-Phung, Chris; Happell, Brenda

2018-05-18

The aim of the current study is to explore whether and how the expectations of consumers to be 'representative' influences consumers' ability to contribute to health services partnerships. Health standards call for services to partner with consumers in service development and governance. While existing research criticises the assumption that individual mental health consumers working with mental health services must be representative of consumers more broadly, research has yet to explore whether this requirement exists for consumers of other health services. Requiring individual consumers to be representative of consumers more broadly marginalises and limits consumer involvement. A qualitative, exploratory design was employed. Consumers (n=6), clinicians (n=7), and health managers (n=5) were interviewed about consumer participation in health services. Data analysis was conducted through the lens of social exchange theory, and informed by discursive psychological principles. The current study extends existing literature within mental health, finding that consumers of other health services are also held responsible for representing broader communities. Data also suggested that a requirement to be representative would marginalise consumers with a passion to bring about change in health systems. The findings suggest that organisations might need a culture change so that individual consumers are not expected to be representative of consumers more broadly, and that participation be made more accessible for diverse groups of consumers. Given the role that nurses might play as allies to consumers within health services, the findings of this study contribute to knowledge about the expectations placed on consumers and the ways that nurses might advocate for better partnerships. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Consumer's Resource Handbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of Consumer Affairs, Washington, DC.

This handbook was designed to help persons avoid consumer problems, handle their own complaints if they occur, and guide them to additional sources of help if necessary. The book can also be helpful to complaint handlers when they attempt to direct consumers to the appropriate source of assistance. The guide contains three general sections. The…

Direct-to-consumer advertising of predictive genetic tests: a health belief model based examination of consumer response.

PubMed

Rollins, Brent L; Ramakrishnan, Shravanan; Perri, Matthew

2014-01-01

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of predictive genetic tests (PGTs) has added a new dimension to health advertising. This study used an online survey based on the health belief model framework to examine and more fully understand consumers' responses and behavioral intentions in response to a PGT DTC advertisement. Overall, consumers reported moderate intentions to talk with their doctor and seek more information about PGTs after advertisement exposure, though consumers did not seem ready to take the advertised test or engage in active information search. Those who perceived greater threat from the disease, however, had significantly greater behavioral intentions and information search behavior.

Product Safety, It's No Accident. A Consumer Product Safety Monthly Planning Guide for Community Organizations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC.

A consumer product safety monthly planning guide for community organizations is provided. The material is organized into suggested monthly topics with seasonal emphasis. Each section highlights selected information about how to identify potential hazards associated with categories of products. Each section also includes recommendaitons of ways to…

Consumer-directed health plans: what happened?

PubMed

Goldsmith, Jeff

2007-08-01

CDHPs can stabilize growth in health costs, but the health plan-subscriber relationship should be more transparent. CFOs should ensure that increased cost exposure in CDHPs is paired with broad, deep disease management and employee assistance support. Hospitals should plan for the likelihood that, one way or another, consumers will be paying more of their healthcare bill.

A Web-Disseminated Self-Help and Peer Support Program Could Fill Gaps in Mental Health Care: Lessons From a Consumer Survey

PubMed Central

Banschback, Kaitlin; Santorelli, Gennarina D; Constantino, Michael J

2017-01-01

Background Self-guided mental health interventions that are disseminated via the Web have the potential to circumvent barriers to treatment and improve public mental health. However, self-guided interventions often fail to attract consumers and suffer from user nonadherence. Uptake of novel interventions could be improved by consulting consumers from the beginning of the development process in order to assess their interest and their preferences. Interventions can then be tailored using this feedback to optimize appeal. Objective The aim of our study was to determine the level of public interest in a new mental health intervention that incorporates elements of self-help and peer counseling and that is disseminated via a Web-based training course; to identify predictors of interest in the program; and to identify consumer preferences for features of Web-based courses and peer support programs. Methods We surveyed consumers via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk to estimate interest in the self-help and peer support program. We assessed associations between demographic and clinical characteristics and interest in the program, and we obtained feedback on desired features of the program. Results Overall, 63.9% (378/592) of respondents said that they would try the program; interest was lower but still substantial among those who were not willing or able to access traditional mental health services. Female gender, lower income, and openness to using psychotherapy were the most consistent predictors of interest in the program. The majority of respondents, although not all, preferred romantic partners or close friends as peer counselors and would be most likely to access the program if the training course were accessed on a stand-alone website. In general, respondents valued training in active listening skills. Conclusions In light of the apparent public interest in this program, Web-disseminated self-help and peer support interventions have enormous potential to fill gaps in

Development and Validation of the Consumer Health Activation Index.

PubMed

Wolf, Michael S; Smith, Samuel G; Pandit, Anjali U; Condon, David M; Curtis, Laura M; Griffith, James; O'Conor, Rachel; Rush, Steven; Bailey, Stacy C; Kaplan, Gordon; Haufle, Vincent; Martin, David

2018-04-01

Although there has been increasing interest in patient engagement, few measures are publicly available and suitable for patients with limited health literacy. We sought to develop a Consumer Health Activation Index (CHAI) for use among diverse patients. Expert opinion, a systematic literature review, focus groups, and cognitive interviews with patients were used to create and revise a potential set of items. Psychometric testing guided by item response theory was then conducted among 301 English-speaking, community-dwelling adults. This included differential item functioning analyses to evaluate item performance across participant health literacy levels. To determine construct validity, CHAI scores were compared to scales measuring similar personality constructs. Associations between the CHAI and physical and mental health established predictive validity. A second study among 9,478 adults was used to confirm CHAI associations with health outcomes. Exploratory factor analyses revealed a single-factor solution with a 10-item scale. The CHAI showed good internal consistency (alpha = 0.81) and moderate test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.53). Reading grade level was found to be at the 6 th grade. Moderate to strong correlations were found with similar constructs (Multidimensional Health Locus of Control, r = 0.38, P < 0.001; Conscientiousness, r = 0.41, P < 0.001). Predictive validity was demonstrated through associations with functional health status measures (depression, r = -0.28, P < 0.001; anxiety, r = -0.22, P < 0.001; and physical functioning, r = 0.22, P < 0.001). In the validation sample, the CHAI was significantly associated with self-reported physical and mental health ( r = 0.31 and 0.32 respectively; both P < 0.001). The CHAI appears to be a valid, reliable, and easily administered tool that can be used to assess health activation among adults, including those with limited health literacy. Future studies should test the tool in actual use and explore further

Improving exchange with consumers within mental health organizations: Recognizing mental ill health experience as a 'sneaky, special degree'.

PubMed

Scholz, Brett; Bocking, Julia; Happell, Brenda

2018-02-01

Stigmatizing views towards consumers may be held even by those working within mental health organizations. Contemporary mental health policies require organizations to work collaboratively with consumers in producing and delivering services. Using social exchange theory, which emphasises mutual exchange to maximise benefits in partnership, the current study explores the perspectives of those working within organizations that have some level of consumer leadership. Interviews were conducted with 14 participants from a range of mental health organizations. Data were transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analytic and discursive psychological techniques. Findings suggest stigma is still prevalent even in organizations that have consumers in leadership positions, and consumers are often perceived as less able to work in mental health organizations than non-consumers. Several discourses challenged such a view - showing how consumers bring value to mental health organizations through their expertise in the mental health system, and their ability to provide safety and support to other consumers. Through a social exchange theory lens, the authors call for organizations to challenge stigma and promote the value that consumers can bring to maximize mutual benefits. © 2017 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Price-Shopping in Consumer-Directed Health Plans

PubMed Central

Sood, Neeraj; Wagner, Zachary; Huckfeldt, Peter; Haviland, Amelia

2013-01-01

We use health insurance claims data from 63 large employers to estimate the extent of price shopping for nine common outpatient services in consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) compared to traditional health plans. The main measures of price-shopping include: (1) the total price paid on the claim, (2) the share of claims from low and high cost providers and (3) the savings from price shopping relative to choosing prices randomly. All analyses control for individual and zip code level demographics and plan characteristics. We also estimate differences in price shopping within CDHPs depending on expected health care costs and whether the service was bought before or after reaching the deductible. For 8 out of 9 services analyzed, prices paid by CDHP and traditional plan enrollees did not differ significantly; CDHP enrollees paid 2.3% less for office visits. Similarly, office visits was the only service where CDHP enrollment resulted in a significantly larger share of claims from low cost providers and greater savings from price shopping relative to traditional plans. There was also no evidence that, within CDHP plans, consumers with lower expected medical expenses exhibited more price-shopping or that consumers exhibited more price-shopping before reaching the deductible. PMID:25342936

Mental health consumer participation in education: a structured literature review.

PubMed

Arblaster, Karen; Mackenzie, Lynette; Willis, Karen

2015-10-01

Consumer participation in design, delivery and evaluation of occupational therapy educational programs is a recently introduced requirement for accreditation. It aligns with the principle of recovery, which underpins Australian mental health policy. Graduates' capabilities for recovery-oriented practice are thought to be enhanced through learning from consumers' lived experience. This structured literature review evaluates the current evidence for mental health consumer participation in health professional education to inform occupational therapy educators. Searches were completed in five online databases, one journal and published reading lists on the topic. Studies were included if they addressed mental health consumer participation in health professional education programs, were published in peer reviewed journals between 2000 and 2014 and were in English. Articles were critically reviewed, and analysed for key findings related to stages of the educational process and recovery-oriented practice capabilities. An emerging body of evidence for consumer participation in mental health education was identified. Studies are characterised by a lack of quality and a low to medium level of evidence. Findings relate to design, planning, delivery and evaluation of education as well as to most aspects of recovery-oriented practice. Emphases on exploratory research and proximal outcomes, and a reliance on published outcome measurement instruments designed for other purposes are key limitations in this body of evidence. This study identifies a weak evidence base for the requirement for consumer participation in occupational therapy programs, specifically related to mental health curricula. A research agenda is proposed in response. © 2015 Occupational Therapy Australia.

Designing interactivity on consumer health websites: PARAFORUM for spinal cord injury.

PubMed

Rubinelli, Sara; Collm, Alexandra; Glässel, Andrea; Diesner, Fabian; Kinast, Johannes; Stucki, Gerold; Brach, Mirjam

2013-12-01

This paper addresses the issue of interactivity on health consumer websites powered by health organizations, by presenting the design of PARAFORUM, an interactive website in the field of spinal cord injury (SCI). The design of PARAFORUM is based on different streams of research in online health communication, web-based communities, open innovation communities and formative evaluation with stakeholders. PARAFORUM implements a model of diversified interactivity based on individuals with SCI and their families, health professionals, and researchers sharing their expertise in SCI. In addition to traditional health professional/researcher-to-consumer and peer-to-peer interactions, through PARAFORUM consumers, health professionals and researchers can co-design ideas for the enhancement of practice and research on SCI. There is the need to reflect on the conceptualization and operationalization of interactivity on consumer health websites. Interactions between different users can make these websites important platforms for promoting self-management of chronic conditions, organizational innovation, and participatory research. Interactivity on consumer health websites is a main resource for health communication. Health organizations are invited to build interactive websites, by considering, however, that the exploitation of interactivity require users' collaboration, processes and standards for managing content, creating and translating knowledge, and conducting internet-based studies. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Consumer Health Information and the Demand for Physician Visits.

PubMed

Schmid, Christian

2015-12-01

The present study empirically investigates the effect of consumer health information on the demand for physician visits. Using a direct information measure based on questions from the Swiss Health Survey, we estimate a Poisson hurdle model for office visits. We find that information has a negative effect on health care utilization, contradicting previous findings in the literature. We consider differences in the used information measures to be the most likely explanation for the different findings. However, our results suggest that increasing consumer health information has the potential to reduce health care expenditures. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Consumer Education: Consumer Education I and Consumer Education II. Course Objectives, Content Analysis, Supporting Objectives and Content Generalizations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crow, Karen, Comp.; Martin, Joan, Ed.

Consumer education course objectives, content analysis, supporting objectives, and content generalizations are presented in this teacher's guide for Consumer Education 1 and 2 for the San Diego Unified School District. Course objectives are aimed at several areas of consumer and family studies: consumer education, cultural awareness, human…

The Michigan Consumer Protection Act of 1976. Consumer Education Training Module.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monsma, Charles

This guide for secondary teachers is designed to identify and illustrate specified illegal practices identified in the Michigan Consumer Protection Act of 1976. The guide also explains procedures that a consumer or law-enforcement agency can take to enforce the provisions of this law. Since the act is a broad one, students learn not only about…

Evidence-based Patient Choice and Consumer health informatics in the Internet age

PubMed Central

2001-01-01

In this paper we explore current access to and barriers to health information for consumers. We discuss how computers and other developments in information technology are ushering in the era of consumer health informatics , and the potential that lies ahead. It is clear that we witness a period in which the public will have unprecedented ability to access information and to participate actively in evidence-based health care. We propose that consumer health informatics be regarded as a whole new academic discipline, one that should be devoted to the exploration of the new possibilities that informatics is creating for consumers in relation to health and health care issues. PMID:11720961

Health Careers Film Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Institutes of Health (DHEW), Bethesda, MD. Bureau of Health Manpower Education.

This document, which represents a survey of the entire health career film field, was designed to provide information for people interested in a health career. The guide indicates that a major criteria for film selection was recency; however, some older films that give a fairly accurate image of a profession were included, with some emphasis given…

A systematic review of patient acceptance of consumer health information technology.

PubMed

Or, Calvin K L; Karsh, Ben-Tzion

2009-01-01

A systematic literature review was performed to identify variables promoting consumer health information technology (CHIT) acceptance among patients. The electronic bibliographic databases Web of Science, Business Source Elite, CINAHL, Communication and Mass Media Complete, MEDLINE, PsycArticles, and PsycInfo were searched. A cited reference search of articles meeting the inclusion criteria was also conducted to reduce misses. Fifty-two articles met the selection criteria. Among them, 94 different variables were tested for associations with acceptance. Most of those tested (71%) were patient factors, including sociodemographic characteristics, health- and treatment-related variables, and prior experience or exposure to computer/health technology. Only ten variables were related to human-technology interaction; 16 were organizational factors; and one was related to the environment. In total, 62 (66%) were found to predict acceptance in at least one study. Existing literature focused largely on patient-related factors. No studies examined the impact of social and task factors on acceptance, and few tested the effects of organizational or environmental factors on acceptance. Future research guided by technology acceptance theories should fill those gaps to improve our understanding of patient CHIT acceptance, which in turn could lead to better CHIT design and implementation.

Consumer Concerns: Newcomer's Guide. 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michael, Jean

A bilingual pamphlet containing practical law-related information for recent Russian Jewish immigrants to New York City, this document addresses consumer concerns. Following a brief description of the Newcomer series, 15 questions are listed, each followed by an answer. Questions asked include the meaning of the terms consumer and contract;…

CONSUME: users guide.

Treesearch

R.D. Ottmar; M.F. Burns; J.N. Hall; A.D. Hanson

1993-01-01

CONSUME is a user-friendly computer program designed for resource managers with some working knowledge of IBM-PC applications. The software predicts the amount of fuel consumption on logged units based on weather data, the amount and fuel moisture of fuels, and a number of other factors. Using these predictions, the resource manager can accurately determine when and...

Social marketing: consumer focused health promotion.

PubMed

Blair, J E

1995-10-01

1. Social marketing provides a theoretical basis to increase awareness of preventable health conditions and to increase participation in wellness programs. 2. The philosophy of social marketing underscores the necessity to be aware of and responsive to the consumer's perception of needs. 3. Social marketing is distinguished by its emphasis on "non-tangible" products such as ideas, attitudes, and lifestyle changes. 4. "Marketing mix" is a social marketing strategy that intertwines elements of product, price, place, and promotion to satisfy needs and wants of consumers.

Supporting Better Treatments for Meeting Health Consumers' Needs: Extracting Semantics in Social Data for Representing a Consumer Health Ontology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Yunseon

2016-01-01

Introduction: The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for building a consumer health ontology using social tags. This would assist health users when they are accessing health information and increase the number of documents relevant to their needs. Methods: In order to extract concepts from social tags, this study conducted an…

Ethical issues in consumer genome sequencing: Use of consumers' samples and data

PubMed Central

Niemiec, Emilia; Howard, Heidi Carmen

2016-01-01

High throughput approaches such as whole genome sequencing (WGS) and whole exome sequencing (WES) create an unprecedented amount of data providing powerful resources for clinical care and research. Recently, WGS and WES services have been made available by commercial direct-to-consumer (DTC) companies. The DTC offer of genetic testing (GT) has already brought attention to potentially problematic issues such as the adequacy of consumers' informed consent and transparency of companies' research activities. In this study, we analysed the websites of four DTC GT companies offering WGS and/or WES with regard to their policies governing storage and future use of consumers' data and samples. The results are discussed in relation to recommendations and guiding principles such as the “Statement of the European Society of Human Genetics on DTC GT for health-related purposes” (2010) and the “Framework for responsible sharing of genomic and health-related data” (Global Alliance for Genomics and Health, 2014). The analysis reveals that some companies may store and use consumers' samples or sequencing data for unspecified research and share the data with third parties. Moreover, the companies do not provide sufficient or clear information to consumers about this, which can undermine the validity of the consent process. Furthermore, while all companies state that they provide privacy safeguards for data and mention the limitations of these, information about the possibility of re-identification is lacking. Finally, although the companies that may conduct research do include information regarding proprietary claims and commercialisation of the results, it is not clear whether consumers are aware of the consequences of these policies. These results indicate that DTC GT companies still need to improve the transparency regarding handling of consumers' samples and data, including having an explicit and clear consent process for research activities. PMID:27047756

Consumer response to health and environmental sustainability information regarding seafood consumption.

PubMed

Jacobs, Silke; Sioen, Isabelle; Marques, António; Verbeke, Wim

2018-02-01

Seafood consumption has an impact on both consumers' health and on the marine environment, making the integration of health and sustainability aspects in information and recommendation messages for consumers highly topical. This study presents the results of a consumer study in terms of the impact of exposure to a message about health and sustainability aspects of seafood on 986 participants from Belgium and Portugal. Possible drivers for behavioural change regarding seafood consumption frequency and sustainable seafood buying frequency are studied following exposure to the message. Initial behaviour emerges as the most important factor triggering a change in the intention to consume seafood twice per week and a change in the intention to buy sustainable seafood. A higher health benefit perception resulted in an increased intention to consume seafood twice per week. Attitude towards the message and the option to optimise consumers' choice of seafood species favouring sustainability were significant determinants of change in the intention to buy sustainable seafood. Different stakeholders may take the results of this communication strategy into account and, consequently, contribute to a seafood supply and related communication that supports public health and the marine environment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Under consumers' scrutiny - an investigation into consumers' attitudes and concerns about nudging in the realm of health behavior.

PubMed

Junghans, Astrid F; Cheung, Tracy T L; De Ridder, Denise D T

2015-04-09

Nudging strategies have recently attracted attention from scholars and policy makers for their potential in influencing people's behaviors on large scales. But is the fact that nudges do not forbid any choice-options or significantly alter people's economic incentives sufficient to conclude that nudges should be implemented? While this is discussed amongst scholars from various disciplines the voices of consumers, the target-group of nudges, remain unheard. Since understanding their knowledge about nudging and their opinions on being nudged are crucial for the evaluation of the moral appropriateness of nudging, the current study examines consumers' knowledge of and attitudes toward nudging in general and the realm of health behavior. In this qualitative investigation in-depth semi-structured interviews with UK consumers were conducted to examine consumers' attitudes to four domains of inquiry around which the scholarly discussions about nudging have revolved: consumers' approval of nudging, consumers' views on the origin of nudges, consumers' perceived effectiveness of nudging, and consumers' concerns about manipulative aspects of nudging. Interviews revealed that consumers are largely unfamiliar with the concept of nudging altogether. Once defined and explained to them most consumers approve of the concept, especially in the realm of health behavior, given particular conditions: 1. Nudges should be designed for benefiting individuals and society; 2. consumers comprehend the decision-making context and the reasoning behind the promotion of the targeted behavior. Interviews revealed very limited concerns with manipulative aspects of nudges. These findings call for better information-management to ensure consumers knowledge of nudges and awareness of their current implementation. Under that condition the findings encourage the implementation of nudges benefitting individuals and society in domains that consumers comprehend, such as health behaviors. Further research

Exploration of Selection Bias Issues for the DoD Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Demonstration

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-01-01

e.g., employer or Medicare). Thus we focus on the details of theory of consumer preferences and choices in the discussion below, while providing similar...health status. Two important factors in consumer health plan choices are inherent to any insurance market. First, the consumer preferences that guide...important factors in consumer health plan choices are inherent to any insurance market. First, the consumer preferences that guide their choices of

Using contingent choice methods to assess consumer preferences about health plan design.

PubMed

Marquis, M Susan; Buntin, Melinda Beeuwkes; Kapur, Kanika; Yegian, Jill M

2005-01-01

American insurers are designing products to contain health care costs by making consumers financially responsible for their choices. Little is known about how consumers will view these new designs. Our objective is to examine consumer preferences for selected benefit designs. We used the contingent choice method to assess willingness to pay for six health plan attributes. Our sample included subscribers to individual health insurance products in California, US. We used fitted logistic regression models to explore how preferences for the more generous attributes varied with the additional premium and with the characteristics of the subscriber. High quality was the most highly valued attribute based on the amounts consumers report they are willing to pay. They were also willing to pay substantial monthly premiums to reduce their overall financial risk. Individuals in lower health were willing to pay more to reduce their financial risk than individuals in better health. Consumers may prefer tiered-benefit designs to those that involve overall increases in cost sharing. More consumer information is needed to help consumers better evaluate the costs and benefits of their insurance choices.

Overcoming information asymmetry in consumer-directed health plans.

PubMed

Retchin, Sheldon M

2007-04-01

Consumer-centric healthcare has been extolled as the centerpiece of a new model for managing both quality and price. However, information asymmetry in consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) is a challenge that must be addressed. For CDHPs to work as intended and to gain acceptance, consumers need information regarding the quality and price of healthcare purchases. The federal government, particularly the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, could function as an official resource for information on performance and comparisons among facilities and providers. Because of workforce constraints among primary care physicians, a new group of healthcare professionals called "medical decision advisors" could be trained. Academic health centers would have to play a critical role in devising an appropriate curriculum, as well as designing a certification and credentialing process. However, with appropriate curricula and training, medical decision advisors could furnish information for consumers and aid in the complicated decisions they will face under CDHPs.

Consumer Health-Related Activities on Social Media: Exploratory Study.

PubMed

Benetoli, Arcelio; Chen, Timothy F; Aslani, Parisa

2017-10-13

Although a number of studies have investigated how consumers use social media for health-related purposes, there is a paucity of studies in the Australian context. This study aimed to explore how Australian consumers used social media for health-related purposes, specifically how they identified social media platforms, which were used, and which health-related activities commonly took place. A total of 5 focus groups (n=36 participants), each lasting 60 to 90 minutes, were conducted in the Sydney metropolitan area. The group discussions were audiorecorded and transcribed verbatim. The transcripts were coded line-by-line and thematically analyzed. Participants used general search engines to locate health-related social media platforms. They accessed a wide range of social media on a daily basis, using several electronic devices (in particular, mobile phones). Although privacy was a concern, it did not prevent consumers from fully engaging in social media for health-related purposes. Blogs were used to learn from other people's experiences with the same condition. Facebook allowed consumers to follow health-related pages and to participate in disease-specific group discussions. Wikipedia was used for factual information about diseases and treatments. YouTube was accessed to learn about medical procedures such as surgery. No participant reported editing or contributing to Wikipedia or posting YouTube videos related to health topics. Twitter was rarely used for health-related purposes. Social media allowed consumers to obtain and provide disease and treatment-related information and social and emotional support for those living with the same condition. Most considered their participation as observational, but some also contributed (eg, responded to people's questions). Participants used a wide range of social media for health-related purposes. Medical information exchange (eg, disease and treatment) and social and emotional support were the cornerstones of their online

Consumer Health-Related Activities on Social Media: Exploratory Study

PubMed Central

Chen, Timothy F; Aslani, Parisa

2017-01-01

Background Although a number of studies have investigated how consumers use social media for health-related purposes, there is a paucity of studies in the Australian context. Objective This study aimed to explore how Australian consumers used social media for health-related purposes, specifically how they identified social media platforms, which were used, and which health-related activities commonly took place. Methods A total of 5 focus groups (n=36 participants), each lasting 60 to 90 minutes, were conducted in the Sydney metropolitan area. The group discussions were audiorecorded and transcribed verbatim. The transcripts were coded line-by-line and thematically analyzed. Results Participants used general search engines to locate health-related social media platforms. They accessed a wide range of social media on a daily basis, using several electronic devices (in particular, mobile phones). Although privacy was a concern, it did not prevent consumers from fully engaging in social media for health-related purposes. Blogs were used to learn from other people’s experiences with the same condition. Facebook allowed consumers to follow health-related pages and to participate in disease-specific group discussions. Wikipedia was used for factual information about diseases and treatments. YouTube was accessed to learn about medical procedures such as surgery. No participant reported editing or contributing to Wikipedia or posting YouTube videos related to health topics. Twitter was rarely used for health-related purposes. Social media allowed consumers to obtain and provide disease and treatment-related information and social and emotional support for those living with the same condition. Most considered their participation as observational, but some also contributed (eg, responded to people’s questions). Conclusions Participants used a wide range of social media for health-related purposes. Medical information exchange (eg, disease and treatment) and social and

Consumer e-health solutions: the cure for Baumol's disease?

PubMed

Brown, Adalsteinn D

2014-01-01

Baumol's disease is the fact that costs in persistently labour-intensive sectors such as healthcare do not drop, despite increased use of technology. The idea of consumer e-health solutions is seductive, because it provides one option for treating Baumol's disease. However, barriers to the implementation of these solutions exist, and the successful treatment of Baumol's disease with consumer e-health solutions rests on more than their removal. In this introduction, the editor-in-chief adds to the conversation four shifts that are critical to reaping the benefits of consumer e-health solutions: moving the focus from privacy to protection; from mere access to the use of information in decision-making; from the patient-provider dyad to one that includes a full formal and informal care team; and from structural solutions in healthcare to ones designed around the goals we have for our health system.

An Ensemble Method for Spelling Correction in Consumer Health Questions

PubMed Central

Kilicoglu, Halil; Fiszman, Marcelo; Roberts, Kirk; Demner-Fushman, Dina

2015-01-01

Orthographic and grammatical errors are a common feature of informal texts written by lay people. Health-related questions asked by consumers are a case in point. Automatic interpretation of consumer health questions is hampered by such errors. In this paper, we propose a method that combines techniques based on edit distance and frequency counts with a contextual similarity-based method for detecting and correcting orthographic errors, including misspellings, word breaks, and punctuation errors. We evaluate our method on a set of spell-corrected questions extracted from the NLM collection of consumer health questions. Our method achieves a F1 score of 0.61, compared to an informed baseline of 0.29, achieved using ESpell, a spelling correction system developed for biomedical queries. Our results show that orthographic similarity is most relevant in spelling error correction in consumer health questions and that frequency and contextual information are complementary to orthographic features. PMID:26958208

Consumers' intention to use health recommendation systems to receive personalized nutrition advice.

PubMed

Wendel, Sonja; Dellaert, Benedict G C; Ronteltap, Amber; van Trijp, Hans C M

2013-04-04

Sophisticated recommendation systems are used more and more in the health sector to assist consumers in healthy decision making. In this study we investigate consumers' evaluation of hypothetical health recommendation systems that provide personalized nutrition advice. We examine consumers' intention to use such a health recommendation system as a function of options related to the underlying system (e.g. the type of company that generates the advice) as well as intermediaries (e.g. general practitioner) that might assist in using the system. We further explore if the effect of both the system and intermediaries on intention to use a health recommendation system are mediated by consumers' perceived effort, privacy risk, usefulness and enjoyment. 204 respondents from a consumer panel in the Netherlands participated. The data were collected by means of a questionnaire. Each respondent evaluated three hypothetical health recommendation systems on validated multi-scale measures of effort, privacy risk, usefulness, enjoyment and intention to use the system. To test the hypothesized relationships we used regression analyses. We find evidence that the options related to the underlying system as well as the intermediaries involved influence consumers' intention to use such a health recommendation system and that these effects are mediated by perceptions of effort, privacy risk, usefulness and enjoyment. Also, we find that consumers value usefulness of a system more and enjoyment less when a general practitioner advices them to use a health recommendation system than if they use it out of their own curiosity. We developed and tested a model of consumers' intention to use a health recommendation system. We found that intermediaries play an important role in how consumers evaluate such a system over and above options of the underlying system that is used to generate the recommendation. Also, health-related information services seem to rely on endorsement by the medical sector

Understanding Determinants of Consumer Mobile Health Usage Intentions, Assimilation, and Channel Preferences

PubMed Central

Chen, Liwei; Pye, Jessica; Baird, Aaron

2013-01-01

Background Consumer use of mobile devices as health service delivery aids (mHealth) is growing, especially as smartphones become ubiquitous. However, questions remain as to how consumer traits, health perceptions, situational characteristics, and demographics may affect consumer mHealth usage intentions, assimilation, and channel preferences. Objective We examine how consumers’ personal innovativeness toward mobile services (PIMS), perceived health conditions, health care availability, health care utilization, demographics, and socioeconomic status affect their (1) mHealth usage intentions and extent of mHealth assimilation, and (2) preference for mHealth as a complement or substitute for in-person doctor visits. Methods Leveraging constructs from research in technology acceptance, technology assimilation, consumer behavior, and health informatics, we developed a cross-sectional online survey to study determinants of consumers’ mHealth usage intentions, assimilation, and channel preferences. Data were collected from 1132 nationally representative US consumers and analyzed by using moderated multivariate regressions and ANOVA. Results The results indicate that (1) 430 of 1132 consumers in our sample (37.99%) have started using mHealth, (2) a larger quantity of consumers are favorable to using mHealth as a complement to in-person doctor visits (758/1132, 66.96%) than as a substitute (532/1132, 47.00%), and (3) consumers’ PIMS and perceived health conditions have significant positive direct influences on mHealth usage intentions, assimilation, and channel preferences, and significant positive interactive influences on assimilation and channel preferences. The independent variables within the moderated regressions collectively explained 59.70% variance in mHealth usage intentions, 60.41% in mHealth assimilation, 34.29% in preference for complementary use of mHealth, and 45.30% in preference for substitutive use of mHealth. In a follow-up ANOVA examination, we

Managed care redux: health plans shift responsibilities to consumers.

PubMed

Draper, Debra A; Claxton, Gary

2004-03-01

Confronted with conflicting pressures to stem double-digit premium increases and provide unfettered access to care, health plans are developing products that shift more financial and care management responsibilities to consumers, according to findings from the Center for Studying Health System Change's (HSC) 2002-03 site visits to 12 nationally representative communities. Plans are pursuing these strategies in collaboration with employers that want to gain control over rapidly rising premiums while continuing to respond to employee demands for less restrictive managed care practices. Mindful of the managed care backlash, health plans also are stepping up utilization management activities for high-cost services and focusing care management on high-cost patients. While the move toward greater consumer engagement is clear, the impact on costs and consumer willingness to assume these new responsibilities remain to be seen.

Consumers' knowledge, understanding, and attitudes toward health claims on food labels.

PubMed

Fullmer, S; Geiger, C J; Parent, C R

1991-02-01

The purpose of this study was to assess consumers' knowledge of current fiber recommendations and their attitudes, understanding, and awareness of health claims on breakfast cereal labels. An incidental sample of 241 respondents was drawn from four grocery stores of a local chain in Utah. Data were collected using a computerized interviewing system. The results suggested that consumers with higher education levels had a better understanding of diet-disease-related messages and a more positive attitude toward health messages on food labels. Knowledge of fiber was significantly correlated with positive attitudes toward health messages and understanding of health messages. Overall, attitudes toward placing diet-disease-related messages on food labels were positive. On a scale of 1 through 250, the mean score was 182.5 +/- 37.5 standard deviation (73%). Consumer knowledge of fiber was low. Out of 15 possible points, the mean score for fiber knowledge questions was 8.8 +/- 2.1 (59%). Consumers were more familiar with the role fiber may play in the prevention or treatment of certain diseases or conditions than with sources, classifications, and recommended intakes of fiber. Understanding of health messages was relatively low (45%). Whereas consumer attitudes toward health messages on food labels were positive, consumers (especially less-educated consumers) did not appear to understand the messages well. These results reiterate the concern for public policymakers to exercise caution and ensure that health messages on food labels are responsible and accurate. The results should also remind dietetic practitioners, who are the nutrition experts, of their continual role in providing and ensuring accurate nutrition education to the public.

Quality and consumer decision making in the market for health insurance and health care services.

PubMed

Kolstad, Jonathan T; Chernew, Michael E

2009-02-01

This article reviews the literature relating quality to consumer choice of health plan or health care provider. Evidence suggests that consumers tend to choose better performing health plans and providers and are responsive to initiatives that provide quality information. The response to quality and quality information differs significantly among consumers and across population subgroups. As such the effect of quality information on choice is apparent in only a relatively small, though perhaps consequential, number of consumers. Despite the wealth of findings on the topic to date, the authors suggest directions for future work, including better assessment of the dynamic issues related to information release, as well as a better understanding of how the response to information varies across different groups of patients.

Correlates of consumer trust in online health information: findings from the health information national trends survey.

PubMed

Ye, Yinjiao

2011-01-01

The past few decades have witnessed a dramatic increase in consumers seeking health information online. However, the quality of such information remains questionable, and the trustworthiness of online health information has become a hot topic, whereas little attention has been paid to how consumers evaluate online health information credibility. This study builds on theoretical perspectives of trust such as personal-capital-based, social-capital-based, and transfer-based, and it examines various correlates of consumer trust in online health information. The author analyzed the 2007 Health Information National Trends Survey data (N = 7,674). Results showed that consumer trust in online health information did not correlate with personal capital such as income, education, and health status. Social capital indicated by visiting social networking Web sites was not associated with trust in online health information either. Nevertheless, trust in online health information transferred from traditional mass media and government health agencies to the Internet, and it varied by such information features as easiness to locate and to understand. Age appeared to be a key factor in understanding the correlates of trust in online health information. Theoretical and empirical implications of the results are discussed.

A rapid review of consumer health information needs and preferences.

PubMed

Ramsey, Imogen; Corsini, Nadia; Peters, Micah D J; Eckert, Marion

2017-09-01

This rapid review summarizes best available evidence on consumers' needs and preferences for information about healthcare, with a focus on the Australian context. Three questions are addressed: 1) Where do consumers find and what platform do they use to access information about healthcare? 2) How do consumers use the healthcare information that they find? 3) About which topics or subjects do consumers need healthcare information? A hierarchical approach was adopted with evidence first sought from reviews then high quality studies using Medline (via PubMed), CINAHL, Embase, the JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports, the Campbell Collaboration Library of Systematic Reviews, EPPI-Centre, and Epistemonikos. Twenty-eight articles were included; four systematic reviews, three literature reviews, thirteen quantitative studies, six qualitative studies, and two mixed methods studies. Consumers seek health information at varying times along the healthcare journey and through various modes of delivery. Complacency with historical health information modes is no longer appropriate and flexibility is essential to suit growing consumer demands. Health information should be readily available in different formats and not exclusive to any single medium. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The mental health consumer movement and peer providers in Israel.

PubMed

Moran, G S

2018-04-16

Self-help peer-support groups in Israel emerged in the 1980s and, over time, dynamically interacted and co-developed with the statutory mental health (MH) system. In this editorial, I outline historical milestones of how the evolution of the Israeli mental health system was influenced by the consumer movement. A brief depiction of the consumer movement history. At first, consumers operated outside of the mainstream MH system. Gradually, consumer groups and institutional personnel joined efforts towards community integration and enhancement of quality of life, pushing forward a person-centered recovery orientation. In turn, some administrators and key stakeholders in rehabilitation community services grew to value the impact of knowledge-by-experience in contemporary mental health care. In this context, over the past decade, peer roles were developed in the mental health system, including consumer-providers in community services and peer specialists in inpatient psychiatric hospitals. The insertion of peer roles into the mainstream MH system is far-reaching, including the placement of a peer-project coordinator within the ministry of health. I describe the unique contribution of peers, as experts-by-experience, to mainstream professional knowledge and practice. I also highlight the potential challenges involved when peer models of care are added to traditional medical models of care. The Israeli case demonstrates how the consumer movement can play an active role in MH systems and be acknowledged and recognised as a partner for changing policy, practice and reshaping formal institutions. In addition, they play a vital role in the development of peer-support services.

Essential tips for measuring levels of consumer satisfaction with rural health service quality.

PubMed

Smith, Karly B; Humphreys, John S; Jones, Judith A

2006-01-01

Quality of health services is a matter of increasing importance to health authorities. Monitoring consumer satisfaction of health care is an important input to improving the quality of health services. This article highlights a number of important considerations learned from rural consumer studies relevant to ensuring the valid measurement of consumer satisfaction with rural health services, as a means of contributing to quality improvements. This article compares two methods of analysing rural consumers' satisfaction with healthcare services. In one study of three rural communities in western New South Wales (NSW) and eight communities in north-west Victoria, residents were asked to rate their satisfaction with five key aspects of local health services (availability, geographical accessibility, choice, continuity, economic accessibility as measured by affordability) using a 5 point Likert scale from: one = very satisfied to five = very dissatisfied. An alternative method of assessing levels of consumer satisfaction was undertaken in the survey of eight rural communities in north-west Victoria by investigating consumers' experiences with actual and potential complaints in relation to health services. Both the NSW and Victorian respondents reported generally high levels of satisfaction with the five indicators of quality of health care. At the same time, 11% of Victorian study respondents reported having made a complaint about a health service in the previous 12 months, and one-third of the Victorian respondents reported experiences with their health services about which they wanted to complain but did not, over the same period. Interpretation of apparent consumer satisfaction with their health services must take particular account of the measures and research methods used. In assessing consumer satisfaction with health services in rural areas, specific attention should be given to maximising the engagement of rural consumers in order to ensure representativeness of

Food Additives: "Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy". Health and the Consumer.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florida State Dept. of Education, Tallahassee. Div. of Elementary and Secondary Education.

One in a series, this consumer education learning activity package teaches secondary students about food additives. The package includes instructions for the teacher, suggestions for activities, lists of resource materials, film guides, student activity worksheets, a student resource booklet of background readings, and answer keys. Content taught…

A new perspective on consumer health Web use: "valuegraphic" profiles of health information seekers.

PubMed

Navarro, F H; Wilkins, S T

2001-01-01

Only one half of adults in the United States place a high priority on seeking health information. An examination of today's health information seeker based upon health behavioral intentions, values, and priorities (valuegraphics) reveals that an individual's level of health information seeking corresponds to the value he or she places or the quality of health desired, and current level of personal health involvement. The relationship between valuegraphics and health status and health care use is also examined. Findings from a study that identified significant variance in Web use and satisfaction based upon the valuegraphic profiles of visitors to a hospital system-sponsored consumer Web site are also examined. The implications of consumer health valuegraphic profiling to future Web development by health care organizations are discussed.

Consumer-directed health care and the disadvantaged.

PubMed

Bloche, M Gregg

2007-01-01

Broad adoption of "consumer-directed health care" would probably widen socioeconomic disparities in care and redistribute wealth in "reverse Robin Hood" fashion, from the working poor and middle classes to the well-off. Racial and ethnic disparities in care would also probably worsen. These effects could be alleviated by adjustments to the consumer-directed paradigm. Possible fixes include more progressive tax subsidies, tiering of cost-sharing schemes to promote high-value care, and reduced cost sharing for the less well-off. These fixes, though, are unlikely to gain traction. If consumer-directed plans achieve market dominance, disparities in care by class and race will probably grow.

Enhancing the Effectiveness of Consumer-Focused Health Information Technology Systems Through eHealth Literacy: A Framework for Understanding Users' Needs.

PubMed

Kayser, Lars; Kushniruk, Andre; Osborne, Richard H; Norgaard, Ole; Turner, Paul

2015-05-20

concept (based on 7 domains) was incorporated as a key factor in expanding the user-task-context matrix to describe and qualify user requirements and understanding related to eHealth literacy. This resulted in an expanded framework and a five-step process, which can support health IT designers in understanding and more accurately addressing end-users' needs, capabilities, and contexts to improve effectiveness and broader applicability of consumer-focused health IT systems. It is anticipated that the framework will also be useful for policy makers involved in the planning, procuring, and funding of eHealth infrastructure, applications, and services. Developing effective eHealth products requires complete understanding of the end-users' needs from multiple perspectives. In this paper, we have proposed and detailed a framework for modeling users' needs for designing eHealth systems that merges prior work in development of a user-task-context matrix with the emerging area of eHealth literacy. This framework is intended to be used to guide design of eHealth technologies and to make requirements explicitly related to eHealth literacy, enabling a generation of well-targeted, fit-for-purpose, equitable, and effective products and systems.

Consumer-mediated health information exchanges: the 2012 ACMI debate.

PubMed

Cimino, James J; Frisse, Mark E; Halamka, John; Sweeney, Latanya; Yasnoff, William

2014-04-01

The American College of Medical Informatics (ACMI) sponsors periodic debates during the American Medical Informatics Fall Symposium to highlight important informatics issues of broad interest. In 2012, a panel debated the following topic: "Resolved: Health Information Exchange Organizations Should Shift Their Principal Focus to Consumer-Mediated Exchange in Order to Facilitate the Rapid Development of Effective, Scalable, and Sustainable Health Information Infrastructure." Those supporting the proposition emphasized the need for consumer-controlled community repositories of electronic health records (health record banks) to address privacy, stakeholder cooperation, scalability, and sustainability. Those opposing the proposition emphasized that the current healthcare environment is so complex that development of consumer control will take time and that even then, consumers may not be able to mediate their information effectively. While privately each discussant recognizes that there are many sides to this complex issue, each followed the debater's tradition of taking an extreme position in order emphasize some of the polarizing aspects in the short time allotted them. In preparing this summary, we sought to convey the substance and spirit of the debate in printed form. Transcripts of the actual debate were edited for clarity, and appropriate supporting citations were added for the further edification of the reader. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Consumer-Mediated Health Information Exchanges: The 2012 ACMI Debate

PubMed Central

Cimino, James J.; Frisse, Mark; Halamka, John; Sweeney, Latanya; Yasnoff, William

2017-01-01

The American College of Medical Informatics (ACMI) sponsors periodic debates during the American Medical Informatics Fall Symposium to highlight important informatics issues of broad interest. In 2012, a panel debated the following topic: “Resolved: Health Information Exchange Organizations Should Shift Their Principal Focus to Consumer-Mediated Exchange in Order to Facilitate the Rapid Development of Effective, Scalable, and Sustainable Health Information Infrastructure.” Those supporting the proposition emphasized the need for consumer-controlled community repositories of electronic health records (health record banks) to address privacy, stakeholder cooperation, scalability, and sustainability. Those opposing the proposition emphasized that the current healthcare environment is so complex that development of consumer control will take time and that even then, consumers may not be able to mediate their information effectively. While privately, each discussant recognizes that there are many sides to this complex issue, each followed the debater’s tradition of taking an extreme position in order emphasize some of the polarizing aspects in the short time allotted them. In preparing this summary, we sought to convey the substance and spirit of the debate in printed form. Transcripts of the actual debate were edited for clarity, and appropriate supporting citations were added for the further edification of the reader. PMID:24561078

Balanced Diet: "Eater's Digest". Health and the Consumer.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osceola County School District, Kissimmee, FL.

This consumer education learning activity package is one of a series of six Project SCAT (Skills for Consumer Applied Today) units. It teaches secondary level students about the importance of a balanced diet and what nutrients are most important to good health. The package includes instructions for the teacher, suggestions for activities, lists of…

Mechanisms of Communicating Health Information Through Facebook: Implications for Consumer Health Information Technology Design.

PubMed

Menefee, Hannah K; Thompson, Morgan J; Guterbock, Thomas M; Williams, Ishan C; Valdez, Rupa S

2016-08-11

Consumer health information technology (IT) solutions are designed to support patient health management and have the ability to facilitate patients' health information communication with their social networks. However, there is a need for consumer health IT solutions to align with patients' health management preferences for increased adoption of the technology. It may be possible to gain an understanding of patients' needs for consumer health IT supporting their health information communication with social networks by explicating how they have adopted and adapted social networking sites, such as Facebook, for this purpose. Our aim was to characterize patients' use of all communication mechanisms within Facebook for health information communication to provide insight into how consumer health IT solutions may be better designed to meet patients' communication needs and preferences. This study analyzed data about Facebook communication mechanisms use from a larger, three-phase, sequential, mixed-methods study. We report here on the results of the study's first phase: qualitative interviews (N=25). Participants were over 18, used Facebook, were residents or citizens of the United States, spoke English, and had a diagnosis consistent with type 2 diabetes. Participants were recruited through Facebook groups and pages. Participant interviews were conducted via Skype or telephone between July and September 2014. Data analysis was grounded in qualitative content analysis and the initial coding framework was informed by the findings of a previous study. Participants' rationales for the use or disuse of a particular Facebook mechanism to communicate health information reflected six broad themes: (1) characteristics and circumstances of the person, (2) characteristics and circumstances of the relationship, (3) structure and composition of the social network, (4) content of the information, (5) communication purpose, and (6) attributes of the technology. The results of this

[The Second Health Care Market: Market Mapping Based upon Consumer Perception].

PubMed

Teichert, T; Mühlbach, C

2018-03-01

The aim of the study was to present a picture of consumers' views on the specific market of health and health products, the second German health market. Market analysis of the product categories was carried out. A large-scale representative survey (N=1 033) determined with an innovative adaptation of the repertory grid method the consumer's perspective on the specific market. Basic questions concerning attitudes to health as well as healthy behaviors completed the telephone survey. In the saturated markets, market for health is growing, especially in the context of aging societies, and this is not limited to primary medical products. In this study, product categories such as "dental care", "fruit and vegetables" or "nuts" were classified as healthy products. The relevance of health also in the macroeconomic context has been long underestimated. Health has still a high priority for consumers. A disclosure of individual perceptions in the health context provides a significantly more relevant product design. The identification of healthy product dimensions from the consumer's perspective sheds light on the actually desired product properties and the available potential to meet these desires. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Nursery, gutter, or anatomy class? Obscene expression in consumer health

PubMed Central

Smith, Catherine Arnott

2007-01-01

This paper presents results of a consumer health vocabulary study of text appearing on Web-based bulletin boards. Consumers used obscenities and euphemisms to refer to certain body parts, functions, and behaviors. The female genitalia are the body region most often described with an obscenity (29% of all instances); male genitalia, in contrast, were rendered as obscene only 3% of the time. Consumers responding on the bulletin boards appear genuinely to prefer euphemistic slang and baby talk (62%) over obscenities (24%) when referring to the buttocks. From an anatomical perspective, this large dataset reveals a consumer health vocabulary of euphemisms and outright obscenities coexisting with professional medical terminology. The evident preference for euphemisms and slang for some anatomical parts has important implications for the design of health information controlled vocabularies and translation systems, faced with a lay language more informal than expected. PMID:18693922

Health System Implications of Direct-to-Consumer Personal Genome Testing

PubMed Central

McGuire, Amy L.; Burke, Wylie

2010-01-01

Direct-to-consumer personal genome testing is now widely available to consumers. Proponents argue that knowledge is power but critics worry about consumer safety and potential harms resulting from misinterpretation of test information. In this article, we consider the health system implications of direct-to-consumer personal genome testing, focusing on issues of accountability, both corporate and professional. PMID:21071927

Triumph and adversity: Exploring the complexities of consumer storytelling in mental health nursing education.

PubMed

Happell, Brenda; Bennetts, Wanda

2016-12-01

Consumer participation in the education of health professionals is increasing, particularly in mental health nursing education and storytelling remains the most frequent approach to consumer involvement. The use of story has tended to be accepted as a legitimate educational tool with limited critique or consideration of its potential consequences presented within the academic literature. A qualitative exploratory research study was undertaken with mental health nurse academics (n = 34) and consumer educators and academics (n = 12), to investigate the perceptions and experiences of mental health nurses and consumers regarding the involvement of consumers in mental health nursing education. Data were analysed thematically. Story was a major theme to emerge from consumer participants and received some attention from nurse academics. Consumers and nurses both referred to the power of story to convey the human experience of mental illness diagnosis and service use; and the vulnerability that can result from storytelling. Consumers also described: story as expectation; preparation and support; and the politics of story. All participants supported the value of storytelling in mental health nursing education. Consumers had considered the complexities in far greater detail. The ongoing value of story as an educational technique requires further research. Equally important is considering a broader range of educational roles for mental health consumers. © 2016 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Consumer preferences for health and nonhealth outcomes of health promotion: results from a discrete choice experiment.

PubMed

Alayli-Goebbels, Adrienne F G; Dellaert, Benedict G C; Knox, Stephanie A; Ament, André J H A; Lakerveld, Jeroen; Bot, Sandra D M; Nijpels, G; Severens, J L

2013-01-01

Health promotion (HP) interventions have outcomes that go beyond health. Such broader nonhealth outcomes are usually neglected in economic evaluation studies. To allow for their consideration, insights are needed into the types of nonhealth outcomes that HP interventions produce and their relative importance compared with health outcomes. This study explored consumer preferences for health and nonhealth outcomes of HP in the context of lifestyle behavior change. A discrete choice experiment was conducted among participants in a lifestyle intervention (n = 132) and controls (n = 141). Respondents made 16 binary choices between situations that can be experienced after lifestyle behavior change. The situations were described by 10 attributes: future health state value, start point of future health state, life expectancy, clothing size above ideal, days with sufficient relaxation, endurance, experienced control over lifestyle choices, lifestyle improvement of partner and/or children, monetary cost per month, and time cost per week. With the exception of "time cost per week" and "start point of future health state," all attributes significantly determined consumer choices. Thus, both health and nonhealth outcomes affected consumer choice. Marginal rates of substitution between the price attribute and the other attributes revealed that the attributes "endurance," "days with sufficient relaxation," and "future health state value" had the greatest impact on consumer choices. The "life expectancy" attribute had a relatively low impact and for increases of less than 3 years, respondents were not willing to trade. Health outcomes and nonhealth outcomes of lifestyle behavior change were both important to consumers in this study. Decision makers should respond to consumer preferences and consider nonhealth outcomes when deciding about HP interventions. Copyright © 2013 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All

Transparency of Mandatory Information Disclosure and Concerns of Health Services Providers and Consumers.

PubMed

Yan, Yu-Hua; Kung, Chih-Ming; Fang, Shih-Chieh; Chen, Yi

2017-01-09

This study analyzed differences between transparency of information disclosure and related demands from the health service consumer's perspective. It also compared how health service providers and consumers are associated by different levels of mandatory information disclosure. We obtained our research data using a questionnaire survey (health services providers, n = 201; health service consumers, n = 384). Health service consumers do not have major concerns regarding mandatory information disclosure. However, they are concerned about complaint channels and settlement results, results of patient satisfaction surveys, and disclosure of hospital financial statements ( p < 0.001). We identified significant differences in health service providers' and consumers' awareness regarding the transparency of information disclosure ( p < 0.001). It may not be possible for outsiders to properly interpret the information provided by hospitals. Thus, when a hospital discloses information, it is necessary for the government to consider the information's applicability. Toward improving medical expertise and information asymmetry, the government has to reduce the burden among health service consumers in dealing with this information, and it has to use the information effectively.

Health Concepts, Guides for Health Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, Washington, DC.

Concepts and supporting data pertaining to major health problems facing youth today as well as those anticipated in the next decade are enumerated in this resource. The material is designed as a reference for curriculum planners and classroom teachers in developing curriculum and teaching guides, units and instruction, and other curriculum…

Health Education Resource Guide, Junior High.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Federal Way School District 210, WA.

As part of a health education program for K-12, this curriculum guide for grade eight provides: (1) a short overview of health education; (2) a scope and sequence chart which lists specific topics to teach on mental health, physical health, community health, and safety that are appropriate at different grade levels; (3) a list of objectives; and…

Consumer Health Informatics: The Application of ICT in Improving Patient-Provider Partnership for a Better Health Care.

PubMed

Abaidoo, Benjamin; Larweh, Benjamin Teye

2014-01-01

There is a growing interest concerning the potential of ICT solutions that are customized to consumers. This emerging discipline referred to as consumer health informatics (CHI) plays a major role in providing information to patients and the public, and facilitates the promotion of self-management. The concept of CHI has emerged out of the desire of most patients to shoulder responsibilities regarding their health and a growing desire of health practitioners to fully appreciate the potential of the patient. To describe the role of ICT in improving the patient-provider partnership in consumer health informatics. Systematic reviewing of literature, identification of reference sources and formulation of search strategies and manual search regarding the significance of developed CHI applications in healthcare delivery. New consumer health IT applications have been developed to be used on a variety of different platforms, including the Web, messaging systems, PDAs, and cell phones. These applications assists patients with self-management through reminders and prompts, delivery of real-time data on a patient's health condition to patients and providers, web-based communication and personal electronic health information. New tools are being developed for the purposes of providing information to patients and the public which has enhanced decision making in health matters and an avenue for clinicians and consumers to exchange health information for personal and public use. This calls for corroboration among healthcare organizations, governments and the ICT industry to develop new research and IT innovations which are tailored to the health needs of the consumer.

Consumer Health Informatics: The Application of ICT in Improving Patient-Provider Partnership for a Better Health Care

PubMed Central

Larweh, Benjamin Teye

2014-01-01

Background There is a growing interest concerning the potential of ICT solutions that are customized to consumers. This emerging discipline referred to as consumer health informatics (CHI) plays a major role in providing information to patients and the public, and facilitates the promotion of self-management. The concept of CHI has emerged out of the desire of most patients to shoulder responsibilities regarding their health and a growing desire of health practitioners to fully appreciate the potential of the patient. Aim To describe the role of ICT in improving the patient-provider partnership in consumer health informatics. Methods Systematic reviewing of literature, identification of reference sources and formulation of search strategies and manual search regarding the significance of developed CHI applications in healthcare delivery. Results New consumer health IT applications have been developed to be used on a variety of different platforms, including the Web, messaging systems, PDAs, and cell phones. These applications assists patients with self-management through reminders and prompts, delivery of real-time data on a patient’s health condition to patients and providers, web-based communication and personal electronic health information. Conclusion New tools are being developed for the purposes of providing information to patients and the public which has enhanced decision making in health matters and an avenue for clinicians and consumers to exchange health information for personal and public use. This calls for corroboration among healthcare organizations, governments and the ICT industry to develop new research and IT innovations which are tailored to the health needs of the consumer. PMID:25422724

Study Guide in Health Economics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dawson, George; Jablon, Bert

Prepared to assist students at Empire State College in developing learning contracts for the study of the economics of health care delivery, this study guide discusses various aspects of the topic, suggests student projects, and provides an extensive bibliography. First, introductory material discusses the relationship of economics to health care…

Public Health England's Migrant Health Guide: an online resource for primary care practitioners.

PubMed

Crawshaw, A F; Kirkbride, H

2018-05-01

Approximately 13% of the UK population in 2015 was born overseas. Most migrants have come to the UK to work or study although there has been a small increase in the number of asylum applications in the UK in recent years, reflective of the ongoing humanitarian situation across Europe. Migrants in the UK tend to be young and healthy, but some may face unique health needs as a result of their experiences before, during and after migration. For these needs to be appropriately recognised and addressed, evidence-based advice is needed for UK professionals. The Migrant Health Guide is a free online tool for healthcare professionals. It was launched in 2011 and is widely used in the UK and internationally. It has four sections: 1) Migrants and the NHS-information on access and entitlements to the National Health Service (NHS); 2) Assessing patients-includes a checklist for initial healthcare assessments and advice for patients travelling abroad to visit friends and relatives; 3) Countries-country-specific advice on infectious diseases, women's health and nutritional and metabolic concerns; and 4) Health topics-information about communicable and non-communicable diseases and other health issues. The guide has undergone an extensive update in 2017. In particular, the pages on mental health and human trafficking have been expanded. A formal evaluation will obtain feedback on the guide and measure changes in awareness, knowledge, opinions, attitudes and behaviour of end users. Findings will inform future revisions and updates to the guide. Public Health England's Migrant Health Guide is a valuable resource for healthcare professionals. The relaunched guide builds on the previous version in raising awareness of key issues and providing evidence-based advice to improve the health of migrants and refugees internationally and in the UK. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consumer Opinions of Health Information Exchange, e-Prescribing, and Personal Health Records.

PubMed

Cochran, Gary L; Lander, Lina; Morien, Marsha; Lomelin, Daniel E; Brittin, Jeri; Reker, Celeste; Klepser, Donald G

2015-01-01

Consumer satisfaction is a crucial component of health information technology (HIT) utilization, as high satisfaction is expected to increase HIT utilization among providers and to allow consumers to become full participants in their own healthcare management. The primary objective of this pilot study was to identify consumer perspectives on health information technologies including health information exchange (HIE), e-prescribing (e-Rx), and personal health records (PHRs). Eight focus groups were conducted in seven towns and cities across Nebraska in 2013. Each group consisted of 10-12 participants. Discussions were organized topically in the following categories: HIE, e-Rx, and PHR. The qualitative analysis consisted of immersion and crystallization to develop a coding scheme that included both preconceived and emergent themes. Common themes across focus groups were identified and compiled for each discussion category. The study had 67 participants, of which 18 (27 percent) were male. Focus group findings revealed both perceived barriers and benefits to the adoption of HIT. Common HIT concerns expressed across focus groups included privacy and security of medical information, decreases in quality of care, inconsistent provider participation, and the potential cost of implementation. Positive expectations regarding HIT included better accuracy and completeness of information, and improved communication and coordination between healthcare providers. Improvements in patient care were expected as a result of easy physician access to consolidated information across providers as well as the speed of sharing and availability of information in an emergency. In addition, participants were optimistic about patient empowerment and convenient access to and control of personal health data. Consumer concerns focused on privacy and security of the health information, as well as the cost of implementing the technologies and the possibility of an unintended negative impact on the

Consumer Opinions of Health Information Exchange, e-Prescribing, and Personal Health Records

PubMed Central

Cochran, Gary L.; Lander, Lina; Morien, Marsha; Lomelin, Daniel E.; Brittin, Jeri; Reker, Celeste; Klepser, Donald G.

2015-01-01

Background Consumer satisfaction is a crucial component of health information technology (HIT) utilization, as high satisfaction is expected to increase HIT utilization among providers and to allow consumers to become full participants in their own healthcare management. Objective The primary objective of this pilot study was to identify consumer perspectives on health information technologies including health information exchange (HIE), e-prescribing (e-Rx), and personal health records (PHRs). Methods Eight focus groups were conducted in seven towns and cities across Nebraska in 2013. Each group consisted of 10–12 participants. Discussions were organized topically in the following categories: HIE, e-Rx, and PHR. The qualitative analysis consisted of immersion and crystallization to develop a coding scheme that included both preconceived and emergent themes. Common themes across focus groups were identified and compiled for each discussion category. Results The study had 67 participants, of which 18 (27 percent) were male. Focus group findings revealed both perceived barriers and benefits to the adoption of HIT. Common HIT concerns expressed across focus groups included privacy and security of medical information, decreases in quality of care, inconsistent provider participation, and the potential cost of implementation. Positive expectations regarding HIT included better accuracy and completeness of information, and improved communication and coordination between healthcare providers. Improvements in patient care were expected as a result of easy physician access to consolidated information across providers as well as the speed of sharing and availability of information in an emergency. In addition, participants were optimistic about patient empowerment and convenient access to and control of personal health data. Conclusion Consumer concerns focused on privacy and security of the health information, as well as the cost of implementing the technologies and the

Implicit Reasons for Disclosure of the Use of Complementary Health Approaches (CHA): a Consumer Commitment Perspective.

PubMed

Sirois, Fuschia M; Riess, Helene; Upchurch, Dawn M

2017-10-01

Disclosure of the use of complementary health approaches (CHA) is an important yet understudied health behavior with important implications for patient care. Yet research into disclosure of CHA has been atheoretical and neglected the role of health beliefs. Using a consumer commitment model of CHA use as a guiding conceptual framework, the current study tests the hypotheses that perceived positive CHA outcomes (utilitarian values) and positive CHA beliefs (symbolic values) are associated with disclosure of CHA to conventional care providers in a nationally representative US sample. From a sample of 33,594 with CHA use information from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a subsample of 7348 who used CHA within the past 12 months was analyzed. The 2012 NHIS is a cross-sectional survey of the non-institutionalized US adult population, which includes the most recent nationally representative CHA use data. The 63.2% who disclosed CHA use were older, were less educated, and had visited a health care provider in the past year. Weighted logistic regression analyses controlling for demographic variables revealed that those who disclosed were more likely to report experiencing positive psychological (improved coping and well-being) and physical outcomes (better sleep, improved health) from CHA and hold positive CHA-related beliefs. CHA users who perceive physical and psychological benefits from CHA use and who hold positive attitudes towards CHA are more likely to disclose their CHA use. Findings support the relevance of a consumer commitment perspective for understanding CHA disclosure and suggest CHA disclosure as an important proactive health behavior that warrants further attention.

Information infrastructure for consumer health: a health information exchange stakeholder study.

PubMed

Thornewill, Judah; Dowling, Alan F; Cox, Barbara A; Esterhay, Robert J

2011-05-01

An enabling infrastructure for population-wide health information capture and transfer is beginning to emerge in the U.S. However, the essential infrastructure component that is still missing is effective health information exchange (HIE). Health record banks (HRBs) are one of several possible approaches to achieving HIE. Is the approach viable? If so, what requirements must be satisfied in order for it to succeed? The research, conducted in 2007-2008, explored HRB-related interests, concerns, benefits, payment preferences, design requirements, value propositions, and challenges for 12 healthcare stakeholder groups and the consumers they serve in a U.S. metropolitan area of 1.3 million people. A mixed-methods design was developed in a community action research context. Data were gathered and analyzed through 23 focus groups, 13 web surveys, a consumer phone survey (nonstratified random sample) and follow-up meetings. Recruiting goals for leaders representing targeted groups were achieved using a multi-channel communications strategy. Key themes were identified through data triangulation. Then, requirements, value propositions and challenges were developed through iterative processes of interaction with community members. Results include key themes, design requirements, value propositions, and challenges for 12 stakeholder groups and consumers. The research provides a framework for developing a consumer permission-driven, financially sustainable, community HRB model. However, for such a model to flourish, it will need to be part of a nationwide network of HIEs with compatible HRB approaches able to overcome a number of challenges. Copyright © 2011 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Telecourse Study Guide to "Here's to Your Health."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richards, Donna

This study guide was prepared to accompany "Here's to Your Health," a telecourse focusing on lifestyle factors influencing health, which was designed to provide the tools necessary for achieving and maintaining an optimal, healthy lifestyle. For each of 27 lessons, the study guide presents learning objectives, an overview of content, study…

Health Services Assistant. Revised. Instructor Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Missouri Univ., Columbia. Instructional Materials Lab.

This color-coded curriculum guide was developed to help health services educators prepare students for health services occupations. The curriculum is organized in 20 units that cover the following topics: interpersonal relationships and the health care team; communication and observation skills; safety considerations; microbiology; the body as a…

Interactive use of online health resources: a comparison of consumer and professional questions

PubMed Central

Demner-Fushman, Dina

2016-01-01

Objective To understand how consumer questions on online resources differ from questions asked by professionals, and how such consumer questions differ across resources. Materials and Methods Ten online question corpora, 5 consumer and 5 professional, with a combined total of over 40 000 questions, were analyzed using a variety of natural language processing techniques. These techniques analyze questions at the lexical, syntactic, and semantic levels, exposing differences in both form and content. Results Consumer questions tend to be longer than professional questions, more closely resemble open-domain language, and focus far more on medical problems. Consumers ask more sub-questions, provide far more background information, and ask different types of questions than professionals. Furthermore, there is substantial variance of these factors between the different consumer corpora. Discussion The form of consumer questions is highly dependent upon the individual online resource, especially in the amount of background information provided. Professionals, on the other hand, provide very little background information and often ask much shorter questions. The content of consumer questions is also highly dependent upon the resource. While professional questions commonly discuss treatments and tests, consumer questions focus disproportionately on symptoms and diseases. Further, consumers place far more emphasis on certain types of health problems (eg, sexual health). Conclusion Websites for consumers to submit health questions are a popular online resource filling important gaps in consumer health information. By analyzing how consumers write questions on these resources, we can better understand these gaps and create solutions for improving information access. This article is part of the Special Focus on Person-Generated Health and Wellness Data, which published in the May 2016 issue, Volume 23, Issue 3. PMID:27147494

Spanish-Language Consumer Health Information Technology Interventions: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Chaet, Alexis V; Morshedi, Bijan; Wells, Kristen J; Barnes, Laura E

2016-01-01

Background As consumer health information technology (IT) becomes more thoroughly integrated into patient care, it is critical that these tools are appropriate for the diverse patient populations whom they are intended to serve. Cultural differences associated with ethnicity are one aspect of diversity that may play a role in user-technology interactions. Objective Our aim was to evaluate the current scope of consumer health IT interventions targeted to the US Spanish-speaking Latino population and to characterize these interventions in terms of technological attributes, health domains, cultural tailoring, and evaluation metrics. Methods A narrative synthesis was conducted of existing Spanish-language consumer health IT interventions indexed within health and computer science databases. Database searches were limited to English-language articles published between January 1990 and September 2015. Studies were included if they detailed an assessment of a patient-centered electronic technology intervention targeting health within the US Spanish-speaking Latino population. Included studies were required to have a majority Latino population sample. The following were extracted from articles: first author’s last name, publication year, population characteristics, journal domain, health domain, technology platform and functionality, available languages of intervention, US region, cultural tailoring, intervention delivery location, study design, and evaluation metrics. Results We included 42 studies in the review. Most of the studies were published between 2009 and 2015 and had a majority percentage of female study participants. The mean age of participants ranged from 15 to 68. Interventions most commonly focused on urban population centers and within the western region of the United States. Of articles specifying a technology domain, computer was found to be most common; however, a fairly even distribution across all technologies was noted. Cancer, diabetes, and child

Spanish-Language Consumer Health Information Technology Interventions: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Chaet, Alexis V; Morshedi, Bijan; Wells, Kristen J; Barnes, Laura E; Valdez, Rupa

2016-08-10

As consumer health information technology (IT) becomes more thoroughly integrated into patient care, it is critical that these tools are appropriate for the diverse patient populations whom they are intended to serve. Cultural differences associated with ethnicity are one aspect of diversity that may play a role in user-technology interactions. Our aim was to evaluate the current scope of consumer health IT interventions targeted to the US Spanish-speaking Latino population and to characterize these interventions in terms of technological attributes, health domains, cultural tailoring, and evaluation metrics. A narrative synthesis was conducted of existing Spanish-language consumer health IT interventions indexed within health and computer science databases. Database searches were limited to English-language articles published between January 1990 and September 2015. Studies were included if they detailed an assessment of a patient-centered electronic technology intervention targeting health within the US Spanish-speaking Latino population. Included studies were required to have a majority Latino population sample. The following were extracted from articles: first author's last name, publication year, population characteristics, journal domain, health domain, technology platform and functionality, available languages of intervention, US region, cultural tailoring, intervention delivery location, study design, and evaluation metrics. We included 42 studies in the review. Most of the studies were published between 2009 and 2015 and had a majority percentage of female study participants. The mean age of participants ranged from 15 to 68. Interventions most commonly focused on urban population centers and within the western region of the United States. Of articles specifying a technology domain, computer was found to be most common; however, a fairly even distribution across all technologies was noted. Cancer, diabetes, and child, infant, or maternal health were the

The level of consumer information about health insurance in Nanjing, China.

PubMed

Xu, Weiwei; Van de Ven, Wynand P M M

2014-01-01

The Chinese government is considering a (regulated) competitive healthcare system. Sufficient consumer information is a crucial pre-condition to benefit from such a change. We conducted a survey on the level of consumer information regarding health insurance among the insured population in Nanjing, China in 2009. The results from descriptive analysis and binary logistic regression demonstrate that the current level of consumer information about health insurance is low. The level of consumer information is positively correlated with the subscribers' motivation to obtain the information and its availability. The level of searching for health insurance information is also low; moreover, even upon searching, the chance of finding relevant information is less than 25%. We conclude that the level of consumer information is currently insufficient in China. If the Chinese government is determined to adopt market mechanisms in the healthcare sector, it should take the lead in making valid and reliable information publicly available and easily accessible. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Mechanisms of Communicating Health Information Through Facebook: Implications for Consumer Health Information Technology Design

PubMed Central

Menefee, Hannah K; Thompson, Morgan J; Guterbock, Thomas M; Williams, Ishan C

2016-01-01

Background Consumer health information technology (IT) solutions are designed to support patient health management and have the ability to facilitate patients’ health information communication with their social networks. However, there is a need for consumer health IT solutions to align with patients’ health management preferences for increased adoption of the technology. It may be possible to gain an understanding of patients’ needs for consumer health IT supporting their health information communication with social networks by explicating how they have adopted and adapted social networking sites, such as Facebook, for this purpose. Objective Our aim was to characterize patients’ use of all communication mechanisms within Facebook for health information communication to provide insight into how consumer health IT solutions may be better designed to meet patients’ communication needs and preferences. Methods This study analyzed data about Facebook communication mechanisms use from a larger, three-phase, sequential, mixed-methods study. We report here on the results of the study’s first phase: qualitative interviews (N=25). Participants were over 18, used Facebook, were residents or citizens of the United States, spoke English, and had a diagnosis consistent with type 2 diabetes. Participants were recruited through Facebook groups and pages. Participant interviews were conducted via Skype or telephone between July and September 2014. Data analysis was grounded in qualitative content analysis and the initial coding framework was informed by the findings of a previous study. Results Participants’ rationales for the use or disuse of a particular Facebook mechanism to communicate health information reflected six broad themes: (1) characteristics and circumstances of the person, (2) characteristics and circumstances of the relationship, (3) structure and composition of the social network, (4) content of the information, (5) communication purpose, and (6

Consumer-providers of care for adult clients of statutory mental health services.

PubMed

Pitt, Veronica; Lowe, Dianne; Hill, Sophie; Prictor, Megan; Hetrick, Sarah E; Ryan, Rebecca; Berends, Lynda

2013-03-28

In mental health services, the past several decades has seen a slow but steady trend towards employment of past or present consumers of the service to work alongside mental health professionals in providing services. However the effects of this employment on clients (service recipients) and services has remained unclear.We conducted a systematic review of randomised trials assessing the effects of employing consumers of mental health services as providers of statutory mental health services to clients. In this review this role is called 'consumer-provider' and the term 'statutory mental health services' refers to public services, those required by statute or law, or public services involving statutory duties. The consumer-provider's role can encompass peer support, coaching, advocacy, case management or outreach, crisis worker or assertive community treatment worker, or providing social support programmes. To assess the effects of employing current or past adult consumers of mental health services as providers of statutory mental health services. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library 2012, Issue 3), MEDLINE (OvidSP) (1950 to March 2012), EMBASE (OvidSP) (1988 to March 2012), PsycINFO (OvidSP) (1806 to March 2012), CINAHL (EBSCOhost) (1981 to March 2009), Current Contents (OvidSP) (1993 to March 2012), and reference lists of relevant articles. Randomised controlled trials of current or past consumers of mental health services employed as providers ('consumer-providers') in statutory mental health services, comparing either: 1) consumers versus professionals employed to do the same role within a mental health service, or 2) mental health services with and without consumer-providers as an adjunct to the service. Two review authors independently selected studies and extracted data. We contacted trialists for additional information. We conducted analyses using a random-effects model, pooling studies that measured

Holding health providers in developing countries accountable to consumers: a synthesis of relevant scholarship.

PubMed

Berlan, David; Shiffman, Jeremy

2012-07-01

Health care providers in low-income countries often treat consumers poorly. Many providers do not consider it their responsibility to listen carefully to consumer preferences, to facilitate access to care, to offer detailed information, or to treat patients with respect. A lack of provider accountability to health consumers may have adverse effects on the quality of health care they provide, and ultimately on health outcomes. This paper synthesizes relevant research on health provision in low-, middle- and high-income countries with the aim of identifying factors that shape health provider accountability to consumers, and discerning promising interventions to enhance responsiveness. Drawing on this scholarship, we develop a framework that classifies factors into two categories: those concerning the health system and those that pertain to social influences. Among the health systems factors that may shape provider accountability are oversight mechanisms, revenue sources, and the nature of competition in the health sector-all influences that may lead providers to be accountable to entities other than consumers, such as governments and donors. Among the social factors we explore are consumer power, especially information levels, and provider beliefs surrounding accountability. Evidence on factors and interventions shaping health provider accountability is thin. For this reason, it is not possible to draw firm conclusions on what works to enhance accountability. This being said, research does suggest four mechanisms that may improve provider responsiveness: 1. Creating official community participation mechanisms in the context of health service decentralization; 2. Enhancing the quality of health information that consumers receive; 3. Establishing community groups that empower consumers to take action; 4. Including non-governmental organizations in efforts to expand access to care. This synthesis reviews evidence on these and other interventions, and points to future

Home Management and Consumer Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas Tech Univ., Lubbock. Home Economics Curriculum Center.

Designed for use in consumer and homemaking education in Texas, this curriculum guide is on the subject of home management and consumer education. An introduction to the guide, covering its use and program and curriculum planning, provides a list of suggested reading. Information on teaching handicapped and disadvantaged students follows. The…

Rhetoric vs. reality: employer views on consumer-driven health care.

PubMed

Trude, Sally; Conwell, Leslie

2004-07-01

Because of rising premiums, employers are investigating new health insurance approaches that maintain workers' broad choice of providers while raising awareness of health care costs through increased patient financial responsibility. Employers' knowledge of new health plan products, including consumer-driven health plans and tiered-provider networks, has grown considerably in recent years, according to findings from the Center for Studying Health System Change's (HSC) 2002-03 site visit to 12 nationally representative communities. But employers are concerned that consumer-driven health plans would take considerable effort to implement without much cost savings. They also are skeptical that tiered-provider networks can adequately capture both cost and quality information in a way that is understandable to patients.

Organizational Health Literacy: Review of Theories, Frameworks, Guides, and Implementation Issues

PubMed Central

Bonneville, Luc; Bouchard, Louise

2018-01-01

Organizational health literacy is described as an organization-wide effort to transform organization and delivery of care and services to make it easier for people to navigate, understand, and use information and services to take care of their health. Several health literacy guides have been developed to assist healthcare organizations with this effort, but their content has not been systematically reviewed to understand the scope and practical implications of this transformation. The objective of this study was to review (1) theories and frameworks that inform the concept of organizational health literacy, (2) the attributes of organizational health literacy as described in the guides, (3) the evidence for the effectiveness of the guides, and (4) the barriers and facilitators to implementing organizational health literacy. Drawing on a metanarrative review method, 48 publications were reviewed, of which 15 dealt with the theories and operational frameworks, 20 presented health literacy guides, and 13 addressed guided implementation of organizational health literacy. Seven theories and 9 operational frameworks have been identified. Six health literacy dimensions and 9 quality-improvement characteristics were reviewed for each health literacy guide. Evidence about the effectiveness of health literacy guides is limited at this time, but experiences with the guides were positive. Thirteen key barriers (conceived also as facilitators) were identified. Further development of organizational health literacy requires a strong and a clear connection between its vision and operationalization as an implementation strategy to patient-centered care. For many organizations, becoming health literate will require multiple, simultaneous, and radical changes. Organizational health literacy has to make sense from clinical and financial perspectives in order for organizations to embark on such transformative journey. PMID:29569968

Organizational Health Literacy: Review of Theories, Frameworks, Guides, and Implementation Issues.

PubMed

Farmanova, Elina; Bonneville, Luc; Bouchard, Louise

2018-01-01

Organizational health literacy is described as an organization-wide effort to transform organization and delivery of care and services to make it easier for people to navigate, understand, and use information and services to take care of their health. Several health literacy guides have been developed to assist healthcare organizations with this effort, but their content has not been systematically reviewed to understand the scope and practical implications of this transformation. The objective of this study was to review (1) theories and frameworks that inform the concept of organizational health literacy, (2) the attributes of organizational health literacy as described in the guides, (3) the evidence for the effectiveness of the guides, and (4) the barriers and facilitators to implementing organizational health literacy. Drawing on a metanarrative review method, 48 publications were reviewed, of which 15 dealt with the theories and operational frameworks, 20 presented health literacy guides, and 13 addressed guided implementation of organizational health literacy. Seven theories and 9 operational frameworks have been identified. Six health literacy dimensions and 9 quality-improvement characteristics were reviewed for each health literacy guide. Evidence about the effectiveness of health literacy guides is limited at this time, but experiences with the guides were positive. Thirteen key barriers (conceived also as facilitators) were identified. Further development of organizational health literacy requires a strong and a clear connection between its vision and operationalization as an implementation strategy to patient-centered care. For many organizations, becoming health literate will require multiple, simultaneous, and radical changes. Organizational health literacy has to make sense from clinical and financial perspectives in order for organizations to embark on such transformative journey.

Enhancing the Effectiveness of Consumer-Focused Health Information Technology Systems Through eHealth Literacy: A Framework for Understanding Users' Needs

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

analysis. Results The new eHealth literacy concept (based on 7 domains) was incorporated as a key factor in expanding the user-task-context matrix to describe and qualify user requirements and understanding related to eHealth literacy. This resulted in an expanded framework and a five-step process, which can support health IT designers in understanding and more accurately addressing end-users’ needs, capabilities, and contexts to improve effectiveness and broader applicability of consumer-focused health IT systems. It is anticipated that the framework will also be useful for policy makers involved in the planning, procuring, and funding of eHealth infrastructure, applications, and services. Conclusions Developing effective eHealth products requires complete understanding of the end-users’ needs from multiple perspectives. In this paper, we have proposed and detailed a framework for modeling users’ needs for designing eHealth systems that merges prior work in development of a user-task-context matrix with the emerging area of eHealth literacy. This framework is intended to be used to guide design of eHealth technologies and to make requirements explicitly related to eHealth literacy, enabling a generation of well-targeted, fit-for-purpose, equitable, and effective products and systems. PMID:27025228

Using social cognitive theory to explain consumers' behavioral intentions in response to direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising.

PubMed

Young, Henry N; Lipowski, Earlene E; Cline, Rebecca J W

2005-06-01

Previous research describing consumers' communication behaviors in response to direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) suggests a social cognitive rationale to explain DTCA-related communication behavior. Guided by social cognitive theory, the objective of this study was to explore outcome expectancy and self-efficacy beliefs as predictors of individuals' intentions to communicate with their physicians about an advertised drug. One hundred and seven female college students completed a questionnaire, read an advertisement for an oral contraceptive drug, and completed a second questionnaire. The questionnaires assessed participants' self-efficacy and outcome expectancy beliefs, intended communication behavior, and demographic information. Pearson product-moment correlation analyses showed that outcome expectancy (r=0.75, P<.01) and self-efficacy (r=0.21, P<.05) beliefs were associated positively with intentions to communicate with physicians in response to DTCA. However, ordinary least squares regression analyses revealed that only outcome expectancy beliefs predicted intended communication behavior (B=1.56, P<.01). Results also showed that participants had a relatively greater likelihood of requesting information about, than requesting a prescription for, the advertised drug [t(106)=14.75, P<.01]. The results identify cognitive factors that guide consumers' plans for interacting with physicians in response to DTCA. Health care providers can use these results to guide communication with patients regarding DTCA and meet patients' drug-related informational expectations.

Turning the Tables: Power Relations between Consumer Researchers and other Mental Health Researchers.

PubMed

Happell, Brenda; Gordon, Sarah; Bocking, Julia; Ellis, Pete; Roper, Cath; Liggins, Jackie; Scholz, Brett; Platania-Phung, Chris

2018-05-30

A crucial development resulting from consumer involvement in mental health services has been engagement as active participants in mental health research, often conducted in collaboration with mental health researchers representing the health disciplines (referred to in this paper as 'other' researchers). Despite progress in mental health consumer research, unequal power relations continue to pose a major barrier. Although power issues are discussed in the literature, there is little research from the perspective of other mental health researchers who have collaborated with consumers on research projects. This qualitative study explored other mental health researchers' perspectives on the role of power in collaborative research with consumers. Semi-structured interviews were completed with 11 other mental health researchers. Thematic analysis of the transcript version of interview recordings was conducted. The findings were grounded in 'the table' as a literal and metaphorical site of power relations. The umbrella theme was prominence and presence (of consumers) at the table, followed by subthemes on barriers (tokenism, undermined potential) and surmounting them through reworking power (critical mass and openness to power dynamics). Overall it was found that while there continue to be significant power-related barriers to further building of robust collaborative research with consumers in mental health, there are several avenues that should be considered, much more assertively, to disrupt and transcend them.

RESNA Wheelchair Service Provision Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arledge, Stan; Armstrong, William; Babinec, Mike; Dicianno, Brad E.; Digiovine, Carmen; Dyson-Hudson, Trevor; Pederson, Jessica; Piriano, Julie; Plummer, Teresa; Rosen, Lauren; Schmeler, Mark; Shea, Mary; Stogner, Jody

2011-01-01

The purpose of the Wheelchair Service Provision Guide is to provide an appropriate framework for identifying the essential steps in the provision of a wheelchair. It is designed for use by all participants in the provision process including consumers, family members, caregivers, social service and health care professionals, suppliers,…

Interactive use of online health resources: a comparison of consumer and professional questions.

PubMed

Roberts, Kirk; Demner-Fushman, Dina

2016-07-01

To understand how consumer questions on online resources differ from questions asked by professionals, and how such consumer questions differ across resources. Ten online question corpora, 5 consumer and 5 professional, with a combined total of over 40 000 questions, were analyzed using a variety of natural language processing techniques. These techniques analyze questions at the lexical, syntactic, and semantic levels, exposing differences in both form and content. Consumer questions tend to be longer than professional questions, more closely resemble open-domain language, and focus far more on medical problems. Consumers ask more sub-questions, provide far more background information, and ask different types of questions than professionals. Furthermore, there is substantial variance of these factors between the different consumer corpora. The form of consumer questions is highly dependent upon the individual online resource, especially in the amount of background information provided. Professionals, on the other hand, provide very little background information and often ask much shorter questions. The content of consumer questions is also highly dependent upon the resource. While professional questions commonly discuss treatments and tests, consumer questions focus disproportionately on symptoms and diseases. Further, consumers place far more emphasis on certain types of health problems (eg, sexual health). Websites for consumers to submit health questions are a popular online resource filling important gaps in consumer health information. By analyzing how consumers write questions on these resources, we can better understand these gaps and create solutions for improving information access.This article is part of the Special Focus on Person-Generated Health and Wellness Data, which published in the May 2016 issue, Volume 23, Issue 3. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association 2016. This work is written by US

Consumer-directed health plans: are medical and health savings accounts viable options for financing American health care?

PubMed

Masri, Maysoun Demachkie; Oetjen, Reid M; Campbell, Claudia

2010-01-01

When Americans voted in November 2008, many had the presidential candidates' positions on health care reform in mind. Health savings accounts, which are high deductible health plans coupled with a tax-protected savings account, are 1 type of consumer-directed health plan (CDHP) that gained strong support from the Bush administration. Despite evidence of the effectiveness of CDHPs in constraining costs in other countries, the Obama health plan contains no mention of their role in future US health reform. This article seeks to provide the reader with a better understanding of how CDHPs can help to improve the use of health resources and reduce national health care expenditures by exploring the history and previous research on several types of consumer-directed plans and by providing a comparative analysis of the use of CDHPs in other countries.

Food Labeling and Consumer Associations with Health, Safety, and Environment.

PubMed

Sax, Joanna K; Doran, Neal

2016-12-01

The food supply is complicated and consumers are increasingly calling for labeling on food to be more informative. In particular, consumers are asking for the labeling of food derived from genetically modified organisms (GMO) based on health, safety, and environmental concerns. At issue is whether the labels that are sought would accurately provide the information desired. The present study examined consumer (n = 181) perceptions of health, safety and the environment for foods labeled organic, natural, fat free or low fat, GMO, or non-GMO. Findings indicated that respondents consistently believed that foods labeled GMO are less healthy, safe and environmentally-friendly compared to all other labels (ps < .05). These results suggest that labels mean something to consumers, but that a disconnect may exist between the meaning associated with the label and the scientific consensus for GMO food. These findings may provide insight for the development of labels that provide information that consumers seek.

Classification of Concepts in Consumer Education. Consumer Education Development Program: A National Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bannister, Rosella; Monsma, Charles

This guide for program planners and curriculum developers identifies and describes the basic concepts in consumer education. Consumer education is defined as the process of gaining the knowledge and skills needed in managing consumer resources and taking actions to influence the factors which affect consumer decisions. The primary focus of…

Baby boomers' adoption of consumer health technologies: survey on readiness and barriers.

PubMed

LeRouge, Cynthia; Van Slyke, Craig; Seale, Deborah; Wright, Kevin

2014-09-08

As they age, baby boomers (born 1946-1964) will have increasing medical needs and are likely to place large demand on health care resources. Consumer health technologies may help stem rising health care needs and costs by improving provider-to-patient communication, health monitoring, and information access and enabling self-care. Research has not explored the degree to which baby boomers are ready for, or are currently embracing, specific consumer health technologies This study explores how baby boomers' readiness to use various technologies for health purposes compares to other segments of the adult population. The goals of the study are to (1) examine what technologies baby boomers are ready to use for health purposes, (2) investigate barriers to baby boomers' use of technology for health purposes, and (3) understand whether readiness for and barriers to baby boomers' use of consumer health technologies differ from those of other younger and older consumers. Data were collected via a survey offered to a random sample of 3000 subscribers to a large pharmacy benefit management company. Respondents had the option to complete the survey online or by completing a paper-based version of the survey. Data from 469 respondents (response rate 15.63%) were analyzed, including 258 baby boomers (aged 46-64 years), 72 younger (aged 18-45 years), and 139 older (age >64 years) participants. Baby boomers were found to be similar to the younger age group, but significantly more likely than the older age group to be ready to use 5 technologies for health purposes (health information websites, email, automated call centers, medical video conferencing, and texting). Baby boomers were less ready than the younger age group to adopt podcasts, kiosks, smartphones, blogs, and wikis for health care purposes. However, baby boomers were more likely than older adults to use smartphones and podcasts for health care purposes. Specific adoption barriers vary according to the technology. Baby

Baby Boomers’ Adoption of Consumer Health Technologies: Survey on Readiness and Barriers

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background As they age, baby boomers (born 1946-1964) will have increasing medical needs and are likely to place large demand on health care resources. Consumer health technologies may help stem rising health care needs and costs by improving provider-to-patient communication, health monitoring, and information access and enabling self-care. Research has not explored the degree to which baby boomers are ready for, or are currently embracing, specific consumer health technologies This study explores how baby boomers’ readiness to use various technologies for health purposes compares to other segments of the adult population. Objective The goals of the study are to (1) examine what technologies baby boomers are ready to use for health purposes, (2) investigate barriers to baby boomers’ use of technology for health purposes, and (3) understand whether readiness for and barriers to baby boomers’ use of consumer health technologies differ from those of other younger and older consumers. Methods Data were collected via a survey offered to a random sample of 3000 subscribers to a large pharmacy benefit management company. Respondents had the option to complete the survey online or by completing a paper-based version of the survey. Results Data from 469 respondents (response rate 15.63%) were analyzed, including 258 baby boomers (aged 46-64 years), 72 younger (aged 18-45 years), and 139 older (age >64 years) participants. Baby boomers were found to be similar to the younger age group, but significantly more likely than the older age group to be ready to use 5 technologies for health purposes (health information websites, email, automated call centers, medical video conferencing, and texting). Baby boomers were less ready than the younger age group to adopt podcasts, kiosks, smartphones, blogs, and wikis for health care purposes. However, baby boomers were more likely than older adults to use smartphones and podcasts for health care purposes. Specific adoption

Emergence of a new consumer health informatics framework: introducing the healthcare organization.

PubMed

Reid, Paulette; Borycki, Elizabeth M

2011-01-01

Healthcare consumers are increasingly seeking reliable forms of health information on the Internet that can be used to support health related decision-making. Frameworks that have been developed and tested in the field of health informatics have attempted to describe the effects of the Internet upon the health care consumer and physician relationship. More recently, health care organizations are responding by providing information such as hospital wait lists or strategies for self-managing disease, and this information is being provided on organizational web-sites. The authors of this paper propose that current conceptualizations of the relationship between the Internet, physicians and patients are limited from a consumer informatics perspective and may need to be extended to include healthcare organizations.

Embedding health literacy into health systems: a case study of a regional health service.

PubMed

Vellar, Lucia; Mastroianni, Fiorina; Lambert, Kelly

2017-12-01

Objective The aim of the present study was to describe how one regional health service the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District embedded health literacy principles into health systems over a 3-year period. Methods Using a case study approach, this article describes the development of key programs and the manner in which clinical incidents were used to create a health environment that allows consumers the right to equitably access quality health services and to participate in their own health care. Results The key outcomes demonstrating successful embedding of health literacy into health systems in this regional health service include the creation of a governance structure and web-based platform for developing and testing plain English consumer health information, a clearly defined process to engage with consumers, development of the health literacy ambassador training program and integrating health literacy into clinical quality improvement processes via a formal program with consumers to guide processes such as improvements to access and navigation around hospital sites. Conclusions The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District has developed an evidence-based health literacy framework, guided by the core principles of universal precaution and organisational responsibility. Health literacy was also viewed as both an outcome and a process. The approach taken by the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District to address poor health literacy in a coordinated way has been recognised by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care as an exemplar of a coordinated approach to embed health literacy into health systems. What is known about the topic? Poor health literacy is a significant national concern in Australia. The leadership, governance and consumer partnership culture of a health organisation can have considerable effects on an individual's ability to access, understand and apply the health-related information and services available to them

Consumer Participation and Responsibility in the Planning and Delivery of Health Care.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greve, J.

The main functions of comprehensive health care are promotion, prevention, therapy, and rehabilitation, with an overall goal of health education in its many forms. The consumer has roles and responsibilities in health care which mesh with life as a participating member of society. Consumer participation in the planning and delivery of health…

Beer consumers' perceptions of the health aspects of alcoholic beverages.

PubMed

Wright, C A; Bruhn, C M; Heymann, H; Bamforth, C W

2008-01-01

Consumers' perceptions about alcohol are shaped by numerous factors. This environment includes advertisements, public service announcements, product labels, various health claims, and warnings about the dangers of alcohol consumption. This study used focus groups and questionnaires to examine consumers' perceptions of alcoholic beverages based on their nutritional value and health benefits. The overall purpose of this study was to examine beer consumers' perceptions of the health attributes and content of alcoholic beverages. Volunteers were surveyed at large commercial breweries in California, Missouri, and New Hampshire. The anonymous, written survey was presented in a self-explanatory format and was completed in 5 to 10 min. The content and style of the survey were derived from focus groups conducted in California. The data are separated by location, gender, and over or under the age of 30. Parametric data on beverage rating were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) while the nonparametric data from True/False or Yes/No questions were analyzed using chi-square. Although statistically significant variances did exist between survey location, gender, and age, general trends emerged in areas of inquiry. The findings indicate that a great opportunity exists to inform consumers about the health benefits derived from the moderate consumption of all alcoholic beverages.

Mental health consumer participation in undergraduate occupational therapy student assessment: No negative impact.

PubMed

Logan, Alexandra; Yule, Elisa; Taylor, Michael; Imms, Christine

2018-05-28

Australian accreditation standards for occupational therapy courses require consumer participation in the design, delivery and evaluation of programs. This study investigated whether a mental health consumer - as one of two assessors for an oral assessment in a mental health unit - impacted engagement, anxiety states and academic performance of undergraduate occupational therapy students. Students (n = 131 eligible) self-selected into two groups but were blinded to the group differences (assessor panel composition) until shortly prior to the oral assessment. Control group assessors were two occupational therapy educators, while consumer group assessors included an occupational therapy educator and a mental health consumer. Pre- and post-assessment data were successfully matched for 79 students (overall response rate = 73.1%). No evidence was found of significant differences between the two groups for engagement, anxiety or academic performance (all P values >0.05). Including mental health consumers as assessors did not negatively impact student engagement and academic performance, nor increase student anxiety beyond that typically observed in oral assessment tasks. The findings provide support for expanding the role of mental health consumers in the education and assessment of occupational therapy students. Development of methods to determine the efficacy of consumer involvement remains an area for future research. © 2018 Occupational Therapy Australia.

Consumer Health. Bibliographies on Educational Topics No. 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ERIC Clearinghouse on Teacher Education, Washington, DC.

This document is the fifth in the series, BIBLIOGRAPHIES ON EDUCATIONAL TOPICS (BETS), providing topical searches of ERIC literature in the scope areas of teacher education and health education, physical education, and recreation education. Here, the subject of consumer health is treated bibliographically. Included are topics dealing with the wise…

Consumer health plan choice: current knowledge and future directions.

PubMed

Scanlon, D P; Chernew, M; Lave, J R

1997-01-01

A keystone of the competitive strategy in health insurance markets is the assumption that "consumers" can make informed choices based on the costs and quality of competing health plans, and that selection effects are not large. However, little is known about how individuals use information other than price in the decision making process. This review summarizes the state of knowledge about how individuals make choices among health plans and outlines an agenda for future research. We find that the existing literature on health plan choice is no longer sufficient given the widespread growth and acceptance of managed care, and the increased proportion of consumers' income now going toward the purchase of health plans. Instead, today's environment of health plan choice requires better understanding of how plan attributes other than price influence plan choice, how other variables such as health status interact with plan attributes in the decision making process, and how specific populations differ from one another in terms of the sensitivity of their health plan choices to these different types of variables.

Reducing Negative Outcomes of Online Consumer Health Information: Qualitative Interpretive Study with Clinicians, Librarians, and Consumers

PubMed Central

Pluye, Pierre; Thoër, Christine; Rodriguez, Charo

2018-01-01

Background There has been an exponential increase in the general population’s usage of the internet and of information accessibility; the current demand for online consumer health information (OCHI) is unprecedented. There are multiple studies on internet access and usage, quality of information, and information needs. However, few studies explored negative outcomes of OCHI in detail or from different perspectives, and none examined how these negative outcomes could be reduced. Objective The aim of this study was to describe negative outcomes associated with OCHI use in primary care and identify potential preventive strategies from consumers’, health practitioners’, and health librarians’ perspectives. Methods This included a two-stage interpretive qualitative study. In the first stage, we recruited through a social media survey, a purposeful sample of 19 OCHI users who had experienced negative outcomes associated with OCHI. We conducted semistructured interviews and performed a deductive-inductive thematic analysis. The results also informed the creation of vignettes that were used in the next stage. In the second stage, we interviewed a convenient sample of 10 key informants: 7 health practitioners (3 family physicians, 2 nurses, and 2 pharmacists) and 3 health librarians. With the support of the vignettes, we asked participants to elaborate on (1) their experience with patients who have used OCHI and experienced negative outcomes and (2) what strategies they suggest to reduce these outcomes. We performed a deductive-inductive thematic analysis. Results We found that negative outcomes of OCHI may occur at three levels: internal (such as increased worrying), interpersonal (such as a tension in the patient-clinician relationship), and service-related (such as postponing a clinical encounter). Participants also proposed three types of strategies to reduce the occurrence of these negative outcomes, namely, providing consumers with reliable OCHI, educating

Health Occupations Cluster. Secondary Curriculum Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simpson, Bruce; And Others

This curriculum guide was designed for use in secondary health occupations education programs in Georgia. It provides a model for organizing vocational instructional content in health occupations, such as nurse, dental assistant, medical lab technician, radiologic technician, emergency medical technician, respiratory therapy assistant, medical…

Career Opportunities Instructional Guide. Career Investigation. Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hendrix, Mary; Cegiel, Linda

This instructional guide on career opportunities contains 17 units on the following topics: locating information about occupations; introduction to the occupational clusters; agribusiness and natural resources; business and office; communications and media; construction; consumer and homemaking; environment; fine arts and humanities; health;…

Teacher's Guide to Career Education; Project SPAN.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turpin, Jerry; Bell, Lorraine P.

The teacher's guide is intended for use in conjunction with 15-minute instructional television lessons featuring occupational clusters (construction, communications and media, business and office, health, industrial, transportation, public and personal services, consumer and homemaking, marketing and distribution), for fourth, fifth, and sixth…

Health effects of an organic diet--consumer experiences in the Netherlands.

PubMed

van de Vijver, Lucy P L; van Vliet, Marja E T

2012-11-01

Health is one of the main reasons for consumers to buy organic; however, scientific evidence for a health effect is still limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the perceived health effects experienced by consumers of organic food using a free access online questionnaire. A total of 566 respondents participated, of whom 30% reported no health effects. The other respondents reported better general health, including feeling more energetic and having better resistance to illness (70%), a positive effect on mental well-being (30%), improved stomach and bowel function (24%), improved condition of skin, hair and/or nails (19%), fewer allergic complaints (14%) and improved satiety (14%). Furthermore, it was found that the switch to organic food was often accompanied by the use of more freshly prepared foods and other lifestyle changes. This research provided insight into the experienced health effects of consumers of organic food. Although the study design does not permit direct conclusions on health effects of organic food, the results can serve as a basis for the generation of new hypotheses. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

Knowledge/Power Transforming the Social Landscape: The Case of the Consumer Health Information Movement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huber, Jeffrey T.; Gillaspy, Mary L.

2011-01-01

The consumer health information (CHI) movement is the result of various twentieth-century ideologies and is an outgrowth of the broader consumer movement. From a sociocultural and political perspective, the consumer, civil rights, and women's movements and related societal shifts helped pave the way for the consumer health movement, which laid the…

Involvement of consumers in health technology assessment activities by Inahta agencies.

PubMed

Hailey, David; Werkö, Sophie; Bakri, Rugayah; Cameron, Alun; Göhlen, Britta; Myles, Susan; Pwu, Jasmine; Yothasamut, Jomkwan

2013-01-01

To obtain further information from members of the International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA) on the involvement of consumers in their programs. A questionnaire for a survey was developed and sent to member agencies in November 2010. Survey responses were compared with those from an earlier survey conducted in 2005. Of the thirty-three agencies that provided responses, 67 percent involve consumers in some aspects of their health technology assessment (HTA) programs, compared with 57 percent in 2005. As in the earlier survey, most agencies reporting involvement have contact with consumer or patient organizations and a large minority also involve individual consumers. Summaries of HTA reports that are intended to be easily understood by consumers are prepared by 84 percent of the agencies, and 42 percent involve consumers in dissemination of HTA material. In both areas, there was some increase from the levels previously reported. The survey results suggest that there is a trend to increased involvement of consumers by the INAHTA agencies in their programs but that the level of involvement remains relatively limited. The manner of consumer participation varies between agencies.

Training Cambodian Village Health Support Guides in Diabetes Prevention: Effects on Guides' Knowledge and Teaching Activities Over 6 Months.

PubMed

Wagner, Julie; Keuky, Lim; Fraser-King, Lorraine; Kuoch, Theanvy; Scully, Mary

2016-04-01

Type 2 diabetes is a pressing public health concern in Cambodia, a country with limited human resource capacity due to genocide. Cambodian village health support guides (Guides) promote health at the local level. This paper reports preliminary results of training Guides in diabetes prevention. The curriculum, called Eat, Walk, Sleep was delivered to Guides in Siem Reap province once over 3 h. Participants completed a pretest and posttest on diabetes knowledge. Guides were offered continuing education through Eat, Walk, Sleep resources and were encouraged to teach Eat, Walk, Sleep in their villages. For each of 6 months following their training, Guides completed a checklist regarding their activities. One hundred eighty-five Guides attended one of ten trainings. Knowledge scores increased significantly from pretest to posttest. During 6 months of follow-up, n = 159 Guides (85 %) completed at least one monthly checklist. Guides reported high rates of uptake and delivery of the Eat, Walk, Sleep curriculum and moderate rates of continuing education about diabetes. Diabetes prevention in Cambodia is nascent. Guides show excellent uptake and dissemination of the curriculum. Future research should examine effect of support for Guide activities and the effect of the curriculum on villager health behaviors, and ultimately, on rates of type 2 diabetes.

Consumers' various and surprising responses to direct-to-consumer advertisements in magazine print.

PubMed

Arney, Jennifer; Street, Richard L; Naik, Aanand D

2013-01-01

Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) is ubiquitous in media outlets, but little is known about the ways in which consumers' values, needs, beliefs, and biases influence the perceived meaning and value of DTCA. This article aims to identify the taxonomy of readership categories that reflect the complexity of how health care consumers interact with DTCA, with particular focus on individuals' perceptions of print DTCA in popular magazines. Respondent-driven sampling was used to recruit 18 male and female magazine readers and 18 male and female prescription medication users aged 18-71 years. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews with consumers about their attentiveness, motivations, perceived value, and behavioral responses to DTCA were conducted. The analyses were guided by principles of grounded theory analysis; four categories that vary in consumers' attentiveness, motivations, perceived value, and behavioral responses to DTCA were identified. Two categories - the lay physician and the informed shopper - see value in information from DTCA and are likely to seek medical care based on the information. One category - the voyeur - reads DTCA, but is not likely to approach a clinician regarding advertised information. The fourth category - the evader - ignores DTCA and is not likely to approach a clinician with DTCA information. Responses to DTCA vary considerably among consumers, and physicians should view patients' understanding and response to DTCA within the context of their health-related needs. Patients' comments related to DTCA may be used as an opportunity to engage and understand patients' perspectives about illness and medication use. Clinicians may use information about these categories to facilitate shared understanding and improve communication within the doctor-patient relationship.

Health, An Instructional Guide, Junior High School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Los Angeles City Schools, CA. Div. of Instructional Planning and Services.

This teacher's guide was designed to be used with a one semester course required during the seventh grade to meet the graduation requirement for health instruction. Broad topics included are: growing and maturing; achieving personal health; food for growth and health; addicting, habit-forming, and other harmful substances; community health; and…

Functional foods: health claim-food product compatibility and the impact of health claim framing on consumer evaluation.

PubMed

van Kleef, Ellen; van Trijp, Hans C M; Luning, Pieternel

2005-06-01

Two studies are reported, which aim to strengthen the scientific underpinning of strategic decisions regarding functional food development, as to (1) which health benefits to claim, (2) with which product (category), and (3) in which communication format. The first exploratory study is a secondary analysis of 10 different health claims systematically combined with 10 different food carriers to evaluate their combined suitability for functional food positioning. The results show that consumers tend to prefer functional food concepts that primarily communicate disease-related health benefits in carriers with a healthy image or health positioning history. Study 2 examines health claim format and systematically varies the way in which specific health benefits are being communicated to the consumer. Two physiologically oriented claims (heart disease and osteoporosis) and two psychologically oriented food claims (stress and lack of energy) are expressed in enhanced function format versus disease risk reduction format. Also, it includes the individual difference variable of 'regulatory focus' and the health status of the respondent to explore how these factors impact health claim evaluation. The results show that consumer evaluations primarily differ to the extent that health claims are personally relevant in addressing an experienced disease state. Framing is important, but its effect differs by health benefit. No strong effects for consumers' regulatory focus were found. Underlying mechanisms of these effects and their implications for the development of functional foods are discussed.

Evaluation of web accessibility of consumer health information websites.

PubMed

Zeng, Xiaoming; Parmanto, Bambang

2003-01-01

The objectives of the study are to construct a comprehensive framework for web accessibility evaluation, to evaluate the current status of web accessibility of consumer health information websites and to investigate the relationship between web accessibility and property of the websites. We selected 108 consumer health information websites from the directory service of a Web search engine. We used Web accessibility specifications to construct a framework for the measurement of Web Accessibility Barriers (WAB) of website. We found that none of the websites is completely accessible to people with disabilities, but governmental and educational health information websites exhibit better performance on web accessibility than other categories of websites. We also found that the correlation between the WAB score and the popularity of a website is statistically significant.

Role of Information in Consumer Selection of Health Plans

PubMed Central

Sainfort, François; Booske, Bridget C.

1996-01-01

Considerable efforts are underway in the public and private sectors to increase the amount of information available to consumers when making health plan choices. The objective of this study was to examine the role of information in consumer health plan decisionmaking. A computer system was developed which provides different plan descriptions with the option of accessing varying types and levels of information. The system tracked the information search processes and recorded the hypothetical plan choices of 202 subjects. Results are reported showing the relationship between information and problem perception, preference structure, choice of plan, and attitude towards the decision. PMID:10165036

Research priorities in health communication and participation: international survey of consumers and other stakeholders

PubMed Central

Bragge, Peter; Lowe, Dianne; Nunn, Jack S; O’Sullivan, Molly; Horvat, Lidia; Tong, Allison; Kay, Debra; Ghersi, Davina; McDonald, Steve; Poole, Naomi; Bourke, Noni; Lannin, Natasha; Vadasz, Danny; Oliver, Sandy; Carey, Karen; Hill, Sophie J

2018-01-01

Objective To identify research priorities of consumers and other stakeholders to inform Cochrane Reviews in ‘health communication and participation’ (including such concepts as patient experience, shared decision-making and health literacy). Setting International. Participants We included anyone with an interest in health communication and participation. Up to 151 participants (18–80 years; 117 female) across 12 countries took part, including 48 consumers (patients, carers, consumer representatives) and 75 professionals (health professionals, policymakers, researchers) (plus 25 people who identified as both). Design Survey. Methods We invited people to submit their research ideas via an online survey open for 4 weeks. Using inductive thematic analysis, we generated priority research topics, then classified these into broader themes. Results Participants submitted 200 research ideas, which we grouped into 21 priority topics. Key research priorities included: insufficient consumer involvement in research (19 responses), ‘official’ health information is contradictory and hard to understand (18 responses), communication/coordination breakdowns in health services (15 responses), health information provision a low priority for health professionals (15 responses), insufficient eliciting of patient preferences (14 responses), health services poorly understand/implement patient-centred care (14 responses), lack of holistic care impacting healthcare quality and safety (13 responses) and inadequate consumer involvement in service design (11 responses). These priorities encompassed acute and community health settings, with implications for policy and research. Priority populations of interest included people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, carers, and people with low educational attainment, or mental illness. Most frequently suggested interventions focused on training and cultural change activities for health services and health professionals

Health Education Resource Guide, Grades 1-3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Federal Way School District 210, WA.

As part of a health education program for K-12, these curriculum guides for grades one, two and three provide: (1) a short overview of health education; (2) a scope and sequence chart which lists specific topics to teach on mental health, physical health, community health, and safety that are appropriate at different grade levels; (3) a list of…

Estimating consumer familiarity with health terminology: a context-based approach.

PubMed

Zeng-Treitler, Qing; Goryachev, Sergey; Tse, Tony; Keselman, Alla; Boxwala, Aziz

2008-01-01

Effective health communication is often hindered by a "vocabulary gap" between language familiar to consumers and jargon used in medical practice and research. To present health information to consumers in a comprehensible fashion, we need to develop a mechanism to quantify health terms as being more likely or less likely to be understood by typical members of the lay public. Prior research has used approaches including syllable count, easy word list, and frequency count, all of which have significant limitations. In this article, we present a new method that predicts consumer familiarity using contextual information. The method was applied to a large query log data set and validated using results from two previously conducted consumer surveys. We measured the correlation between the survey result and the context-based prediction, syllable count, frequency count, and log normalized frequency count. The correlation coefficient between the context-based prediction and the survey result was 0.773 (p < 0.001), which was higher than the correlation coefficients between the survey result and the syllable count, frequency count, and log normalized frequency count (p < or = 0.012). The context-based approach provides a good alternative to the existing term familiarity assessment methods.

A model of service quality perceptions and health care consumer behavior.

PubMed

O'Connor, S J; Shewchuk, R M; Bowers, M R

1991-01-01

Analysis of covariance structures (LISREL) was used to examine the influence of consumer held perceptions of service quality on consumer satisfaction and intentions to return. Results indicate that service quality is a significant predictor of consumer satisfaction which, in turn, predicts intention to return. Health care marketing implications are discussed.

Consumer-directed health plans: mixed employer signals, complex market dynamics.

PubMed

Tynan, Ann; Christianson, Jon B

2008-03-01

Health plans have expanded consumer-directed health plan (CDHP) product offerings--typically high-deductible health plans coupled with a spending account--and more employers are offering these products to workers, according to findings from the Center for Studying Health System Change's (HSC) 2007 site visits to 12 nationally representative metropolitan communities. In developing CDHPs, health plans are responding to a broader employer strategy to confer more responsibility on workers for their health care costs, lifestyle choices and treatment decisions. CDHP adoption by employers and consumers depends on a range of factors, including product features and employer characteristics, and varies across the 12 communities. While more large employers are introducing CDHPs into health benefit programs, adoption of CDHPs remains modest. Health plans and employers expect CDHP enrollment to grow as employers and employees become more knowledgeable about CDHP features, health plans develop more sophisticated support tools for plan enrollees, and there are more opportunities to learn from early adopters' experiences.early

Enriching consumer health vocabulary through mining a social Q&A site: A similarity-based approach.

PubMed

He, Zhe; Chen, Zhiwei; Oh, Sanghee; Hou, Jinghui; Bian, Jiang

2017-05-01

The widely known vocabulary gap between health consumers and healthcare professionals hinders information seeking and health dialogue of consumers on end-user health applications. The Open Access and Collaborative Consumer Health Vocabulary (OAC CHV), which contains health-related terms used by lay consumers, has been created to bridge such a gap. Specifically, the OAC CHV facilitates consumers' health information retrieval by enabling consumer-facing health applications to translate between professional language and consumer friendly language. To keep up with the constantly evolving medical knowledge and language use, new terms need to be identified and added to the OAC CHV. User-generated content on social media, including social question and answer (social Q&A) sites, afford us an enormous opportunity in mining consumer health terms. Existing methods of identifying new consumer terms from text typically use ad-hoc lexical syntactic patterns and human review. Our study extends an existing method by extracting n-grams from a social Q&A textual corpus and representing them with a rich set of contextual and syntactic features. Using K-means clustering, our method, simiTerm, was able to identify terms that are both contextually and syntactically similar to the existing OAC CHV terms. We tested our method on social Q&A corpora on two disease domains: diabetes and cancer. Our method outperformed three baseline ranking methods. A post-hoc qualitative evaluation by human experts further validated that our method can effectively identify meaningful new consumer terms on social Q&A. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Consumers' health-related motive orientations and ready meal consumption behaviour.

PubMed

Geeroms, Nele; Verbeke, Wim; Van Kenhove, Patrick

2008-11-01

Based on a multidimensional perspective on the meaning of health, this study explores associations between consumers' health-related motive orientations (HRMO) and ready meal consumption behaviour. Cross-sectional data were collected from a sample of 1934 Flemish consumers through an on-line survey. The respondents rated 45 health statements referring to people's motives for pursuing health. The survey also assessed information on several aspects of ready meal consumption, i.e. consumption frequency, beliefs and attitudes toward ready meals and ready meal buying criteria. Based on a two-step cluster analysis, we identified five distinct subgroups in the sample, according to their HRMO: health is about energy (Energetic Experimenters), emotional well-being/enjoying life (Harmonious Enjoyers), social responsibility/physical well-being (Normative Carers), achievement/outward appearance (Conscious Experts) and autonomy (Rationalists). Ready meal consumption patterns differed between these segments, with Energetic Experimenters and Conscious Experts showing significantly more positive attitudes, stronger beliefs and both higher penetration and consumption frequency related to ready meals, compared to Harmonious Enjoyers, Normative Carers and Rationalists. These findings may relate to the individualistic versus altruistic health orientation perspective of the identified segments, and are valuable in the context of improving consumer-oriented product development, positioning and marketing of ready meals.

Health care consumers' experiences of information communication technology--a summary of literature.

PubMed

Akesson, Kerstin M; Saveman, Britt-Inger; Nilsson, Gunilla

2007-09-01

There is an increasing interest in reaching consumers directly through the Internet and different telecommunication systems. The most important contacts in health care will always be the face-to-face meetings, but the tools of health informatics can be seen as a means to an end, which is to provide the best possible health care. A variety of applications have been described in different references. To our knowledge there has been no review of a research-based state of the art in the field of consumers' experiences in using different applications in health informatics. According to the benefits in using information communication technology (ICT) as being cost-effective and timesaving it is of great importance to focus on and examine consumers' experiences. It is important that it is user friendly and regarded as valuable and useful. The aim of this study was to describe consumers' subjective experiences of using electronic resources with reference to health and illness. DESIGN AND/OR METHOD: A systematic literature search was performed in databases CINAHL, Medline and Cochrane, as well as a manual search. Retrieved references (n=14) were appraised according to their scientific structure and quality. A broad search was performed in order to find as many different applications as possible. Our primary intention was to identify existing references describing consumers' experiences with ICT. In spite of this broad search few references were found. Twelve references remained and three themes were identified: support and help, education and information, and telecommunication instead of on-site visiting. Consumers felt more confident and empowered, their knowledge increased and their health status improved due to the ICT resources. Lack of face-to-face meetings or privacy did not appear to be a problem. ICT can improve the nurse-patient relationship and augment well-being for consumers. More research is needed to measure consumers' experiences and factors that influence it

Health Systems and Sustainability: Doctors and Consumers Differ on Threats and Solutions

PubMed Central

Robertson, Jane; Walkom, Emily J.; Henry, David A.

2011-01-01

Background Healthcare systems face the problem of insufficient resources to meet the needs of ageing populations and increasing demands for access to new treatments. It is unclear whether doctors and consumers agree on the main challenges to health system sustainability. Methodology We conducted a mail survey of Australian doctors (specialists and general practitioners) and a computer assisted telephone interview (CATI) of consumers to determine their views on contributors to increasing health care costs, rationing of services and involvement in health resource allocation decisions. Differences in responses are reported as odds ratios (OR) and 99% confidence intervals (CI). Results Of 2948 doctors, 1139 (38.6%) responded; 533 of 826 consumers responded (64.5% response). Doctors were more concerned than consumers with the effects of an ageing population (OR 3.0; 99% CI 1.7, 5.4), and costs of new drugs and technologies (OR 5.1; CI 3.3, 8.0), but less likely to consider pharmaceutical promotional activities as a cost driver (OR 0.29, CI 0.22, 0.39). Doctors were more likely than consumers to view ‘community demand’ for new technologies as a major cost driver, (OR 1.6; 1.2, 2.2), but less likely to attribute increased costs to patients failing to take responsibility for their own health (OR 0.35; 0.24, 0.49). Like doctors, the majority of consumers saw a need for public consultation in decisions about funding for new treatments. Conclusions Australian doctors and consumers hold different views on the sustainability of the healthcare system, and a number of key issues relating to costs, cost drivers, roles and responsibilities. Doctors recognise their dual responsibility to patients and society, see an important role for physicians in influencing resource allocation, and acknowledge their lack of skills in assessing treatments of marginal value. Consumers recognise cost pressures on the health system, but express willingness to be involved in health care decision

Usability and accessibility in consumer health informatics current trends and future challenges.

PubMed

Goldberg, Larry; Lide, Bettijoyce; Lowry, Svetlana; Massett, Holly A; O'Connell, Trisha; Preece, Jennifer; Quesenbery, Whitney; Shneiderman, Ben

2011-05-01

It is a truism that, for innovative eHealth systems to have true value and impact, they must first and foremost be usable and accessible by clinicians, consumers, and other stakeholders. In this paper, current trends and future challenges in the usability and accessibility of consumer health informatics will be described. Consumer expectations of their healthcare providers and healthcare records in this new era of consumer-directed care will be explored, and innovative visualizations, assistive technologies, and other ways that healthcare information is currently being provided and/or shared will be described. Challenges for ensuring the usability of current and future systems will also be discussed. An innovative model for conducting systematic, timely, user-centered research on consumer-facing websites at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the ongoing efforts at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to promote health information technology (HIT) usability standards and evaluation criteria will also be presented. Copyright © 2011 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. All rights reserved.

Consumer-directed health care for persons under 65 years of age with private health insurance: United States, 2007.

PubMed

Cohen, Robin A; Martinez, Michael E

2009-03-01

Data from the National Health Interview Survey. In 2007, 17.3% of persons under 65 years of age with private health insurance were enrolled in a high deductible health plan (HDHP), 4.5% were enrolled in a consumer-directed health plan (CDHP), and 14.8% were in a family with a flexible spending account for medical expenses (FSA); Persons with directly purchased private health insurance were more likely to be enrolled in a high deductible plan than those who obtained their private health insurance through an employer or union; Higher incomes and higher educational attainment were associated with greater uptake and enrollment in HDHPs, CDHPs, and FSAs. National attention to consumer-directed health care has increased following the enactment of the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-173), which established tax-advantaged health savings accounts (1). Consumer-directed health care enables individuals to have more control over when and how they access care, what types of care they use, and how much they spend on health care services. This report includes estimates of three measures of consumer-directed private health care. Estimates for 2007 are provided for enrollment in high deductible health plans (HDHPs), plans with high deductibles coupled with health savings accounts also known as consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs), and the percentage of individuals with private coverage whose family has a flexible spending account (FSA) for medical expenses, by selected sociodemographic characteristics. All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.

Using multilevel modeling to assess case-mix adjusters in consumer experience surveys in health care.

PubMed

Damman, Olga C; Stubbe, Janine H; Hendriks, Michelle; Arah, Onyebuchi A; Spreeuwenberg, Peter; Delnoij, Diana M J; Groenewegen, Peter P

2009-04-01

Ratings on the quality of healthcare from the consumer's perspective need to be adjusted for consumer characteristics to ensure fair and accurate comparisons between healthcare providers or health plans. Although multilevel analysis is already considered an appropriate method for analyzing healthcare performance data, it has rarely been used to assess case-mix adjustment of such data. The purpose of this article is to investigate whether multilevel regression analysis is a useful tool to detect case-mix adjusters in consumer assessment of healthcare. We used data on 11,539 consumers from 27 Dutch health plans, which were collected using the Dutch Consumer Quality Index health plan instrument. We conducted multilevel regression analyses of consumers' responses nested within health plans to assess the effects of consumer characteristics on consumer experience. We compared our findings to the results of another methodology: the impact factor approach, which combines the predictive effect of each case-mix variable with its heterogeneity across health plans. Both multilevel regression and impact factor analyses showed that age and education were the most important case-mix adjusters for consumer experience and ratings of health plans. With the exception of age, case-mix adjustment had little impact on the ranking of health plans. On both theoretical and practical grounds, multilevel modeling is useful for adequate case-mix adjustment and analysis of performance ratings.

Relationships among different subjective measurements of consumer health information retrieval performance.

PubMed

Zeng, Qing T; Kogan, Sandra; Ngo, Long; Greenes, Robert A

2004-01-01

Millions of consumers perform health information retrieval (HIR) online. To better understand the consumers' perspective on HIR performance, we conducted an observation and interview study of 97 health information consumers. Consumers were asked to perform HIR tasks and we recorded their view regarding performance using several differ-ent subjective measurements: finding the desired information, usefulness of the information found, satisfaction with the information, and intention to continue searching. Statistical analysis was applied to verify if the multiple subjective measurements were redundant. The measurements ranged from slight agreement to no agreement among them. A number of reasons were identified for this lack of agreement. Although related, the four subjective measurements of HIR performance are distinct from each other and carried different useful information

Consumers, gag rules, and health plans: strategies for a patient-focused market.

PubMed

Etheredge, L; Jones, S B

1997-05-01

The "gag rule" controversy has become a symbol of new tensions and changing relationships among patients, physicians, and health plans. This paper offers a consumer-focused analysis of these fundamental issues from the point of view of a patient with a chronic illness. It starts with a case study of a specific individual and then considers the systemic incentives and other factors that lead to conflicts among patients, physicians, and health plans. This consumer focus invites the reader to consider managed care with the following question in mind: "What would you want for yourself it you were the patient?" The paper suggests that many private-sector initiatives, as well as government actions, could contribute to a better health care market. Among the reform strategies discussed are (a) professional responsibility and private-sector standards, (b) consumer assistance, and (c) government regulation. All of us, including persons with chronic illness, need a consumer-focused health system. So, too, do physicians and health plans that want to provide excellent care for all of their patients.

Educational content and health literacy issues in direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceuticals.

PubMed

Mackert, Michael; Love, Brad

2011-01-01

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertisements have been analyzed in many ways, but richer conceptualizations of health literacy have been largely absent from this research. With approximately half of U.S. adults struggling to understand health information, it is important to consider consumers' health literacy when analyzing DTC advertisements. This project, framed by the health belief model, analyzed 82 advertisements. Advertisements provided some kinds of educational content (e.g., drugs' medical benefits) but typically failed to offer other useful information (e.g., other strategies for dealing with conditions). Issues likely to be barriers to low health literate consumers, such as nonstandard text formatting, are common.

Stochastic modeling of consumer preferences for health care institutions.

PubMed

Malhotra, N K

1983-01-01

This paper proposes a stochastic procedure for modeling consumer preferences via LOGIT analysis. First, a simple, non-technical exposition of the use of a stochastic approach in health care marketing is presented. Second, a study illustrating the application of the LOGIT model in assessing consumer preferences for hospitals is given. The paper concludes with several implications of the proposed approach.

Understanding Coordination of Care from the Consumer's Perspective in a Regional Health System

PubMed Central

Harrison, Alexandra; Verhoef, Marja

2002-01-01

Objective To understand and develop a model about the meaning of coordination to consumers who experienced a transition from acute care to home care. Study Design A qualitative, exploratory study using Grounded Theory. Data Sources/Analysis Thirty-three consumers in the Calgary Regional Health Authority who had experienced the transition from an acute care hospital back into the community with home care support were interviewed. They were asked to describe their transition experience and what aspects of coordination were important to them. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using constant comparison. The coding and retrieval of information was facilitated by the computer software program Nud*ist. Principal Findings The resulting model has four components: (1) the meaning of coordination to consumers; (2) aspects of health care system support that are important for coordination; (3) elements that prepared consumers to return home; and (4) the components of a successful transition experience. Consumers appeared to play a crucial role in spanning organizational boundaries by participating in the coordination of their own care. Conclusions Consumers must be included in health care decisions as recipients of services and major players in the transition processes related to their care. Health care providers need to ensure that consumers are prepared to carry out their coordination role and managers need to foster a culture that values the consumer “voice” in organizational processes. PMID:12236382

Academic consumer researchers: a bridge between consumers and researchers.

PubMed

Griffiths, Kathleen M; Jorm, Anthony F; Christensen, Helen

2004-04-01

To describe the contributions that consumers, and academic consumer researchers in particular, can make to mental health research. A literature survey and a systematic consideration of the potential advantages of consumer and academic consumer researcher involvement in health research. Consumer researchers may contribute to better health outcomes, but there are significant barriers to their participation in the research process. To date, discussion has focused on the role of nonacademic consumers in the health research process. There has been little recognition of the particular contributions that consumers with formal academic qualifications and research experience can offer. Academic consumer researchers (ACRs) offer many of the advantages associated with lay consumer participation, as well as some unique advantages. These advantages include acceptance by other researchers as equal partners in the research process; skills in research; access to research funding; training in disseminating research findings within the scientific community; potential to influence research funding and research policy; capacity to influence the research culture; and potential to facilitate the involvement of lay consumers in the research process. In recognition of the value of a critical mass of ACRs in mental health, a new ACR unit (the Depression and Anxiety Consumer Research Unit [CRU]) has been established at the Centre for Mental Health Research at the Australian National University. Academic consumer researchers have the potential to increase the relevance of mental health research to consumers, to bridge the gap between the academic and consumer communities and to contribute to the process of destigmatizing mental disorders.

Engaging Consumer Voices in Health Care Policy: Lessons for Social Work Practice.

PubMed

Law, Kristi Lohmeier; Saunders, A

2016-02-01

Community health centers provide comprehensive public health care in some of the most disadvantaged communities in the United States. To ensure that health centers meet the needs of their consumers, they uniquely engage them in their organizational decision-making and policy-development processes by requiring that their boards of directors encompass a 51 percent consumer majority. To understand the quality of board members' experiences, a critical ethnography was conducted using Arnstein's ladder of citizen participation and the socioecological model as a framework. The analysis identified multiple influences on the quality of participation among consumer members. Findings also confirm other research that has found that knowledge of the economic, political, and cultural factors surrounding the context of the individual health center is important to understanding meaningful participation. The experience is important to understand given the shift driven by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 in health care, which emphasizes a patient-entered model of care. Social work practitioners and others in the public health arena interested in empowering consumers to have a role in the provision of services need to understand the impact of each of these areas'and the experience of this unique sample of health center board members.

Teacher's Kit for Consumer Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawaii State Dept. of Education, Honolulu. Office of Instructional Services.

This curriculum guide on Consumer Education, designed for high school seniors, was developed to help students become aware of and knowledgeable about their role as consumers in today's society. The following key concepts for study are emphasized: general principles of consumer purchasing; consumer credit; general principles of fraud, quackery,…

Present and Future Trends in Consumer Health Informatics and Patient-Generated Health Data.

PubMed

Lai, A M; Hsueh, P-Y S; Choi, Y K; Austin, R R

2017-08-01

Objectives: Consumer Health Informatics (CHI) and the use of Patient-Generated Health Data (PGHD) are rapidly growing focus areas in healthcare. The objective of this paper is to briefly review the literature that has been published over the past few years and to provide a sense of where the field is going. Methods: We searched PubMed and the ACM Digital Library for articles published between 2014 and 2016 on the topics of CHI and PGHD. The results of the search were screened for relevance and categorized into a set of common themes. We discuss the major topics covered in these articles. Results: We retrieved 65 articles from our PubMed query and 32 articles from our ACM Digital Library query. After a review of titles, we were left with 47 articles to conduct our full article survey of the activities in CHI and PGHD. We have summarized these articles and placed them into major categories of activity. Within the domain of consumer health informatics, articles focused on mobile health and patient-generated health data comprise the majority of the articles published in recent years. Conclusions: Current evidence indicates that technological advancements and the widespread availability of affordable consumer-grade devices are fueling research into using PGHD for better care. As we observe a growing number of (pilot) developments using various mobile health technologies to collect PGHD, major gaps still exist in how to use the data by both patients and providers. Further research is needed to understand the impact of PGHD on clinical outcomes. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart.

Peterson's Guide to Colleges for Careers in Allied Health.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson's Guides, Inc., Princeton, NJ.

This guide contains guidelines for evaluating a career in allied health, for selecting a college. The guide profiles undergraduate programs at approximately 750 institutions of higher education in the United States. The directory is divided into five main sections. The first section offers guidelines for evaluating a career in allied health. It…

Transparency of Mandatory Information Disclosure and Concerns of Health Services Providers and Consumers

PubMed Central

Yan, Yu-Hua; Kung, Chih-Ming; Fang, Shih-Chieh; Chen, Yi

2017-01-01

Background: This study analyzed differences between transparency of information disclosure and related demands from the health service consumer’s perspective. It also compared how health service providers and consumers are associated by different levels of mandatory information disclosure. Methods: We obtained our research data using a questionnaire survey (health services providers, n = 201; health service consumers, n = 384). Results: Health service consumers do not have major concerns regarding mandatory information disclosure. However, they are concerned about complaint channels and settlement results, results of patient satisfaction surveys, and disclosure of hospital financial statements (p < 0.001). We identified significant differences in health service providers’ and consumers’ awareness regarding the transparency of information disclosure (p < 0.001). Conclusions: It may not be possible for outsiders to properly interpret the information provided by hospitals. Thus, when a hospital discloses information, it is necessary for the government to consider the information’s applicability. Toward improving medical expertise and information asymmetry, the government has to reduce the burden among health service consumers in dealing with this information, and it has to use the information effectively. PMID:28075362

Evaluation of Web Accessibility of Consumer Health Information Websites

PubMed Central

Zeng, Xiaoming; Parmanto, Bambang

2003-01-01

The objectives of the study are to construct a comprehensive framework for web accessibility evaluation, to evaluate the current status of web accessibility of consumer health information websites and to investigate the relationship between web accessibility and property of the websites. We selected 108 consumer health information websites from the directory service of a Web search engine. We used Web accessibility specifications to construct a framework for the measurement of Web Accessibility Barriers (WAB) of website. We found that none of the websites is completely accessible to people with disabilities, but governmental and educational health information websites exhibit better performance on web accessibility than other categories of websites. We also found that the correlation between the WAB score and the popularity of a website is statistically significant. PMID:14728272

A Quantitative Comparative Study Measuring Consumer Satisfaction Based on Health Record Format

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Vivianne E.

2013-01-01

This research study used a quantitative comparative method to investigate the relationship between consumer satisfaction and communication based on the format of health record. The central problem investigated in this research study related to the format of health record used and consumer satisfaction with care provided and effect on communication…

Formulation of consumables management models. Volume 2: Mission planning processor user guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daly, J. K.; Torian, J. G.

1978-01-01

A user guide for the MPP (Mission Planning Processor) is presented. The MPP is used in the evaluation of particular missions, with appropriate display and storage of related consumables data. Design goals are accomplished by the use of an on-line/demand mode computer terminal Cathode Ray Tube Display. The process is such that the user merely adds specific mission/flight functions to a skeleton flight and/or alters the skeleton. The skeleton flight includes operational aspects from prelaunch through ground support equipment connect after rollout as required to place the STS (Space Transportation System) in a parking orbit, maintain the spacecraft and crew for the stated on-orbit period and return.

Consumer Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heintz, Amy D., Comp.

The curriculum guide is intended as a source to help teachers plan consumer education classes in Nevada, from junior high school through the adult level. Developed for a semester's (18 weeks) separate course of study, using individual or group instruction, the guide may be expanded to meet the needs of a full year. Each unit can be taught as an…

Understanding consumers' initial expectations of community-based residential mental health rehabilitation in the context of past experiences of care: A mixed-methods pragmatic grounded theory analysis.

PubMed

Parker, Stephen; Meurk, Carla; Newman, Ellie; Fletcher, Clayton; Swinson, Isabella; Dark, Frances

2018-04-16

This study explores how consumers expect community-based residential mental health rehabilitation to compare with previous experiences of care. Understanding what consumers hope to receive from mental health services, and listening to their perspectives about what has and has not worked in previous care settings, may illuminate pathways to improved service engagement and outcomes. A mixed-methods research design taking a pragmatic approach to grounded theory guided the analysis of 24 semi-structured interviews with consumers on commencement at three Community Care Units (CCUs) in Australia. Two of these CCUs were trialling a staffing model integrating peer support work with clinical care. All interviews were conducted by an independent interviewer within the first 6 weeks of the consumer's stay. All participants expected the CCU to offer an improvement on previous experiences of care. Comparisons were made to acute and subacute inpatient settings, supported accommodation, and outpatient care. Consumers expected differences in the people (staff and co-residents), the focus of care, physical environ, and rules and regulations. Participants from the integrated staffing model sites articulated the expected value of a less clinical approach to care. Overall, consumers' expectations aligned with the principles articulated in policy frameworks for recovery-oriented practice. However, their reflections on past care suggest that these services continue to face significant challenges realizing these principles in practice. Paying attention to the kind of working relationship consumers want to have with mental health services, such as the provision of choice and maintaining a practical and therapeutic supportive focus, could improve their engagement and outcomes. © 2018 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Health in the Family and Consumer Sciences Curriculum: Full Circle?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richards, Virginia; Kettler, Mary C.; Brown, Elfrieda F.

1999-01-01

Analysis of documents from 19 college home economics/family and consumer sciences programs demonstrated the evolution of health core curriculum from emphasis on sanitation, nutrition, and food preparation to hospital-related health care. Today's emphasis on health care costs and wellness has shifted emphasis to home health care and prevention. (SK)

A Guide to Health Manpower Resources--1970.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Washington State Dept. of Social and Health Services, Olympia.

The stated objective of this guide is to provide a quantitative description of the current supply of health manpower in the State of Washington. To do so, two methods of data collecting are used, with explanations for each. Precautions for interpreting their data are noted. The major portion (152 of 180 pages) of the guide lists information on…

Research priorities in health communication and participation: international survey of consumers and other stakeholders.

PubMed

Synnot, Anneliese; Bragge, Peter; Lowe, Dianne; Nunn, Jack S; O'Sullivan, Molly; Horvat, Lidia; Tong, Allison; Kay, Debra; Ghersi, Davina; McDonald, Steve; Poole, Naomi; Bourke, Noni; Lannin, Natasha; Vadasz, Danny; Oliver, Sandy; Carey, Karen; Hill, Sophie J

2018-05-08

To identify research priorities of consumers and other stakeholders to inform Cochrane Reviews in 'health communication and participation' (including such concepts as patient experience, shared decision-making and health literacy). International. We included anyone with an interest in health communication and participation. Up to 151 participants (18-80 years; 117 female) across 12 countries took part, including 48 consumers (patients, carers, consumer representatives) and 75 professionals (health professionals, policymakers, researchers) (plus 25 people who identified as both). Survey. We invited people to submit their research ideas via an online survey open for 4 weeks. Using inductive thematic analysis, we generated priority research topics, then classified these into broader themes. Participants submitted 200 research ideas, which we grouped into 21 priority topics. Key research priorities included: insufficient consumer involvement in research (19 responses), 'official' health information is contradictory and hard to understand (18 responses), communication/coordination breakdowns in health services (15 responses), health information provision a low priority for health professionals (15 responses), insufficient eliciting of patient preferences (14 responses), health services poorly understand/implement patient-centred care (14 responses), lack of holistic care impacting healthcare quality and safety (13 responses) and inadequate consumer involvement in service design (11 responses). These priorities encompassed acute and community health settings, with implications for policy and research. Priority populations of interest included people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, carers, and people with low educational attainment, or mental illness. Most frequently suggested interventions focused on training and cultural change activities for health services and health professionals. Consumers and other stakeholders want research addressing

Consumer participation and organizational development in health care: a systematic review.

PubMed

Tempfer, Clemens B; Nowak, Peter

2011-07-01

To provide an overview of published data on user participation in Health Care. Active and passive involvement of consumers into agendas associated with Health Care is still an exception. Data on the success of user participation projects in various areas of Health Care are lacking. Systematic literature review using public databases. We identified 467 studies including five systematic reviews describing various participation projects, among them workshops, citizens' panels, focus groups, citizens' juries, and consultation meetings. A general trend favoring a specific method was not observed. The categorization of evaluable studies according to Health Care area (n = 331) yielded the following results: general medicine/preventive medicine (n = 5), internal medicine/oncology (n = 132), obstetrics and gynecology (n = 2), surgery (n = 1), neurology/psychiatry (n = 2), social medicine (n = 16), health worker training (n = 38), and research agenda setting (n = 135). Predefined qualitative parameters were extracted from 69/467 (15%) studies. Sixty one of 69 studies (88%) were retrospective analyses without control groups and without outcome assessment. Six studies had outcome assessment, three judged the outcome as successful, two as negative, and one multi-project study reported 'very successful' project assessments in 24% of the projects. In 18 studies, the level of consumer participation was described as 'informed' in 2/18, 'advisory' in 14/18, and 'decision-making' in 2/18. The following factors associated with project success were identified: adequate financing, partnerships with well institutionalized consumer organizations, advanced project logistics, small-scale projects, and adequate internal and external communication. Most consumer participation projects were performed in research agenda setting, internal medicine/oncology, and health worker training. Various methods have been used in the projects, the level of consumer participation was low, and the success

Considerations for the design of safe and effective consumer health IT applications in the home.

PubMed

Zayas-Cabán, Teresa; Dixon, Brian E

2010-10-01

Consumer health IT applications have the potential to improve quality, safety and efficiency of consumers' interactions with the healthcare system. Yet little attention has been paid to human factors and ergonomics in the design of consumer health IT, potentially limiting the ability of health IT to achieve these goals. This paper presents the results of an analysis of human factors and ergonomics issues encountered by five projects during the design and implementation of home-based consumer health IT applications. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality-funded consumer health IT research projects, where patients used the IT applications in their homes, were reviewed. Project documents and discussions with project teams were analysed to identify human factors and ergonomic issues considered or addressed by project teams. The analysis focused on system design and design processes used as well as training, implementation and use of the IT intervention. A broad range of consumer health IT applications and diverse set of human factors and ergonomics issues were identified. The design and implementation processes used resulted in poor fit with some patients' healthcare tasks and the home environment and, in some cases, resulted in lack of use. Clinician interaction with patients and the information provided through health IT applications appeared to positively influence adoption and use. Consumer health IT application design would benefit from the use of human factors and ergonomics design and evaluation methods. Considering the context in which home-based consumer health IT applications are used will likely affect the ability of these applications to positively impact the quality, safety and efficiency of patient care.