Information and communication technology in cardiovascular disease prevention in developing countries: hype and hope. Report of the International Collaboration on Information Use in Cardiovascular Health Promotion in Developing Countries.

Information can be an important tool in promoting a prevention strategy to address the emerging epidemic of cardiovascular disease in developing countries. Advances in information and communication technology offer new promises for global access to information and for global mobilization to prevent and control cardiovascular disease. This is especially true for health professionals, whose needs in areas such as networking, exchange of expertise and access to relevant advances remain unfulfilled. Information technology can also sensitize the lay public to the magnitude of cardiovascular diseases, creating awareness about risk states, and highlighting preventive strategies. Effective application mandates that the technology be relevant to local needs. Cost, feasibility, and relevance of information need to be considered before wide adoption is advocated. Several initiatives, such as ProCOR, Global Cardiovascular Infobase, Heartfile, and the Virtual Congress of Cardiology, have successfully utilized information technology to promote cardiovascular prevention. The experience of these initiatives suggests that, while information technology holds great potential, there are many potential perils, such as the widening global information gap, inequitable access, and irrelevant information. For now, information technology must be viewed as part of a broader strategy, which includes conventional communication media, to address the unmet information needs for cardiovascular prevention globally. Enlightened policies can exploit the energies of the recent information boom for promoting cardiovascular prevention, taking into account the considered limitations.