My main interest in the electronic workspace is in the impact it will have
on health care consumers and what the impact that access to information and
being informed will have on social relations in the health care system.

Sam Lafranco recently spoke using the electronic workspace to increase
TRANSPARENCY, and ACCOUNTABILITY and to PROMOTE COLLABORATION in regards to
the process of funding proposals.

>We are committed to using this virtual workspace as a vehicle
>for increased transparancy and accountability for funding and to increase
>the chances of collaboration. The same could be done within health promotion
>funding.

Those 3 words encapsulated for me the major potential of the electronic
workspace for health care consumers in having more power and control in the
health care system.

The TRANSPARENCY comes in being able to get hold of lots of information, as
much and sometimes more than your health care professional. As the barriers
to obtaining medical knowledge decrease and knowledge dessiminates
throughout the system from professional to consumer, there will be a need
for.... what?

ACCOUNTABILITY comes with this as people become more knowledgeable and have
others to discuss things with it creates an information seeking environment.
This puts more onus on the health care professional and system to be
responsive and accountabile for what they are doing.

Most importantly it creates the opportunity for COLLABORATION.  A health
care consumer can assist the health care professional to become
knowledgeable and can take part in decisions and in their health care process.

"Participation is the issue.  It is very central to concepts, theories, and
methods of health promotion.  If people are going to take greater control
they need to participate." (Lawrence Green)

An example of this is illustrated well at the Apergers Resources Home Page
at http://www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/.  This page is designed by someone
who is the parent of a child with Aspergers. When she was told by the
specialist that her child had Aspergers she was patted on the back and told
to keep up the good work.  She was given no other information.   Imagine
being told that this is what your child had. Real World: Getting an overview
from the Dr. and maybe an article, and then maybe you go to the library.
Then you're alone, you know noone else who has a child with this. Compare
this with what this electronic workspace offers.  You can immediately access
research articles, become a part of a research study, educational
implications- ideas for classroom management, social implications and
strategies, universities, medical centres and clinicians who evaluate
individuals with AS,conferences and workshops,look at personal experiences,
artwork or poetry of those that have this problem, get a recommended reading
list, find support and find linkds to other disability pages with
information on Aspergers.
How rich and varied it seems in comparison, how HOLISTIC and how empowering
for that parent and that child as they interact with not only the health
care system but their world!  To me this is health promotion plus!

From all my excitement you might be able to tell that I am fairly new to all
this. I've only been exploring this electronic workspace for the past 2
months. Previous to that my interest in consumer health information has led
me to visit or talk with various CHIS services, Planetree (San Fransisco and
Stanford), St Joseph's Community Health Centre in Hamilton, Metro Toronto
Library and The Health Connection in Calgary.  Although I am not employed by
any agency I have been exploring what might be suitable for my community
(Victoria, BC) which brings me to WORKPLACE.  What sort of site would be
most appropriate to actively encourage consumers and health care
professionals to use the electronic work space?  From previous postings it
seems that their is resistance as this is set up in existing health related
sites.  What do you think about the idea of a seperate health information
resource centre whose sole purpose was to assist consumers and health care
professionals to get information and to develop the needed skills to use the
electronic space?  Would it make this issue more visible?  or would it
create more resistance?

PS  I don't like the word health care "consumer". I read somewhere that
consumer comes from consumption, meaning to devour.  Does it bother anyone
else?  I saw a program on CBC where some "consumers" (of which we are all
one as well) said they did not like it either.  Has anyone got any ideas for
another term?

Judi Quail  <[log in to unmask]>