There is great enthusiasm over the use of emerging interactive health information technologies--often referred to as eHealth--and the potential these technologies have to improve the quality, capacity, and efficiency of the health care system. eHealth includes such technologies as electronic personal health records; electronic health education libraries; and online personal health journals and self-assessment tools. eHealth has the potential to improve access to the health care system for those whose access is impeded, for example, individuals who live far from a health care provider.
However, many doctors, advocacy groups, policy makers and consumers are concerned that electronic health systems might help individuals and communities with greater resources while leaving behind those with limited access to technology. Even if equal access to technology could be ensured, most health websites are designed for people with a strong understanding of health information, also known as health literacy. Yet with the average U.S. adult reading at an eighth grade level, many people may be ill-equipped to take advantage of new health technologies even if they can access them.
In order to address this problem, the Institute of Medicine's Roundtable on Health Literacy held a workshop to explore the current status of communication technology, the challenges for its use in populations with low health literacy, and the strategies for increasing the benefit of these technologies for populations with low health literacy. The summary of the workshop, Health Literacy, eHealth, and Communication: Putting the Consumer First, includes participants' comments on these issues.