Open Access
Yearb Med Inform 2012; 21(01): 7-15
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1639424
Working Group Contribution
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart

Personal Health, Person-centred Health and Personalised Medicine – Concepts, Consumers, Confusion and Challenges in the Informatics World

M. Rigby
1   Keele University, School of Public Policy and Professional Practice, Keele, United Kingdom (also Nordic School of Public Health, Gothenburg, Sweden Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland)
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Correspondence to

Emeritus Professor Michael Rigby
Lavender Hill
6 Carrighill Lower, Calverstown Kilcullen
Co. Kildare, Ireland
Phone: +353 45 485858   

Publication History

Publication Date:
10 March 2018 (online)

 

Summary

Objectives

To define and assess ‘Consumer Health Informatics’ and related emergent issues in an era of new media and of personalisation of care, and from this to define what actions need to be taken to optimise benefits and address risks.

Methods

Definition of key concepts; review of health personalisation, emergent health information and communication technologies and knowledge sources available to citizens and social media; and identification of unresolved issues threatening optimal use of each.

Results

A structured review supported by citations and examples.

Conclusions

Several new aspects of consumer health informatics are emerging, including new knowledge sources, feedback on treatments and care providers, on-line videos, and a new generation of patient experience sites including those which are for profit and seek to influence treatment paradigms. Not just the information usage, but also the potential social challenges and malicious abuses, are global issues, and also transcend the traditional health community and thus should be addressed in partnership with other global agencies.


 



Correspondence to

Emeritus Professor Michael Rigby
Lavender Hill
6 Carrighill Lower, Calverstown Kilcullen
Co. Kildare, Ireland
Phone: +353 45 485858