HEALTHY QUALITY OF LIFE

Revolution and innovation of the Internet and electronic techniques have opened new possibilities in the world’s health care settings, affecting activities and citizens’ health in every aspect of their needs. eHealth is the dominator of the new age health care services, an instrument for social reform. Consumers’ self-management and health perception are among the main assumptions for the health care services’ improvement [1].

Health Informatics (HI) is a specialty which has led to growing awareness of the importance of professional information techniques to improve the health information treatment and equalize consumers’ and health professionals’ relationship [3]. Consumer Health Informatics (CHI) is proposed to empower consumers by accessible and personalized health information. Mapping consumers’ needs and preferences are among most rewarding profits of CHI [4].

Iceland is in a leading position of computer and Internet resources with the majority of public homes using the Internet. The electronic evolution of the health care settings is supposed to become in context to the Icelandic governments’ policy of Information Society 2004-2007, including services at the State Social Security Institute’s of Iceland (SSSI) [5].

Health care consumers’ role is changing to more responsibility of own health problems. It is considered that access to own health information would improve their perception of state of health. Previous research show that health consumers believe they have more influence, are better informed and more satisfied when using interactive services [10,11,12]. Electronic health care services have a lot of work ahead to meet consumers’ demands. Information about their perception, attitudes and preferences is essential for introduction of electronic services.