Workshop on Patient Empowerment: A Transdisciplinary Informatics-Based Approach

University Of Utah, Salt Lake City UT

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of this workshop is to explore in a transdisciplinary fashion how models of the individual, his or her social network, and of societal decision making derived from psychology, sociology, decision sciences, economics, can be applied to create intelligent applications that empower patients. Empowerment of patients and healthy individuals is a critical aspect of individualized medicine and includes concepts of self-efficacy and self managed behavioral change, supported by healthcare providers and payers. Technology plays a role in patient empowerment but will be most successful if implemented within through scientifically based, theory-driven systems that address the barriers that patients face to empowerment within themselves and across the health system. To achieve this, intelligent systems need useful, computable models of patients reasoning and their social relationships and social networks. The workshop is focused on identifying the key questions underlying empowerment with a particular emphasis on the role of networking and information technology in the empowering processes. The results of this workshop are expected to have significant impact on the practical ability to empower individuals as well as on fundamental understanding of the empowerment process.