United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Accounting and Information Management Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1996-07-26 monographic deposited born digital 18 p. GA 1.13:T-AIMD-96-134 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-T-AIMD-96-134 P0b002ee18038f3a4 f:ai96134t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-T-AIMD-96-134 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-T-AIMD-96-134 T-AIMD-96-134 Health care cost control Health care services Information dissemination operations Computer networks Consumer education Medical information systems Telecommunications operations Disease detection or diagnosis Data integrity Shared Decision Making System ComputerLink System (Cleveland, OH) University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System John A. Hartford Foundation Community Health Management Information System FortNet System (Fort Collins, CO) National Health Information Infrastructure Project HHS World Wide Web Gateway to Federal Consumer Health Information Project Testimony AIMD GAO discussed the emergence of consumer health informatics. GAO noted that: (1) the demand for health-related information has increased steadily in the past 5 to 10 years; (2) many consumers have reported problems in gaining access to appropriate health information, especially in self-care situations; (3) several hundred informatics systems have been developed in the past decade, but most systems are still in early stages of development; (4) consumers are able to obtain health-related information through one-way communications, tailor specific information to unique situations, or communicate with health care providers through two-way communications systems; (5) more complex systems that permit user interaction are usually the most expensive; (6) consumers are able to reduce unnecessary medical services and lower health care costs by accessing health informatics systems; (7) these systems also help health care providers to more effectively treat certain patients; (8) the most significant issues that need to be addressed include system access, system development cost, and information quality; (9) there is no nationwide infrastructure to link information from hospitals, clinics, and physicians' offices; (10) states and local communities are supporting projects to disseminate health information to their residents; and (11) many federal agencies are planning greater coordination and evaluation of consumer health informatics. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-T-AIMD-96-134/html/GAOREPORTS-T-AIMD-96-134.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-T-AIMD-96-134/pdf/GAOREPORTS-T-AIMD-96-134.pdf GAO/T-AIMD-96-134 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-T-AIMD-96-134 Testimony GAO/T-AIMD-96-134; Consumer Health Informatics: Emerging Issues; Health care cost control Health care services Information dissemination operations Computer networks Consumer education Medical information systems Telecommunications operations Disease detection or diagnosis Data integrity Shared Decision Making System ComputerLink System (Cleveland, OH) University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System John A. Hartford Foundation Community Health Management Information System FortNet System (Fort Collins, CO) National Health Information Infrastructure Project HHS World Wide Web Gateway to Federal Consumer Health Information Project