Decision Support for Patients

Abstract

This chapter is designed to introduce the concept of computer-based decision support systems for patients. With the rapid growth of computing technology available to consumers and the virtual explosion of health information available on the World Wide Web, patient decision aids and computer-based health interventions are now a more common part of routine medical care. The new field of consumer health informatics deals with “developing and evaluating methods and applications to integrate consumer needs and preferences into information management systems in clinical practice, education, and research.”1 This technology, both hardware and software, is part of a growing trend toward empowering consumers to take a more active role in their own health care and to provide the necessary information to enhance their decision making. Today, more than ever, consumers are using information technology as an important supplement to the information provided by healthcare professionals in the course of clinical encounters.