CONSUMER HEALTH INFORMATION DEMAND AND DELIVERY - IMPLICATIONS FOR LIBRARIES

Consumers are increasingly interested in information that will help th em manage their own health and that of their families. Managed care an d other health providers see consumer health information as one tool t o help improve patient satisfaction and reduce costs. There is a huge and varied supply of such information, provided through myriad sources . This article summarizes findings from a preliminary assessment of co nsumer health information demand and delivery supported by the U.S. De partment of Health and Human Services. It highlights patterns of consu mer interest and supply sources, identifies problems that confront tho se looking for information, and suggests a role for libraries as provi ders and interpreters of health information. The last publicly release d general study on consumer health information was commissioned by Gen eral Mills in 1979. In the sixteen years since then, the scope of cons umer health information has become huge and diverse; with increased re sponsibility for health, consumers have developed both broad interests and very specific needs. The Department of Health and Human Services commissioned a preliminary assessment of consumer health information d emand and delivery to lay the foundation for a more comprehensive unde rstanding of the issues. This article highlights some of the key findi ngs that suggest a role for libraries as consumer health information p roviders and interpreters.