Roadmap for engaging consumers in using health information technology.

As healthcare costs continue to grow, one method proposed to help reduce costs is consumer engagement in prevention, management, and self-care. This results in less costs incurred by providers and the healthcare system overall. Using consumer Health Information Technology (HIT) makes it easier for consumers to be engaged in managing their own health. The purpose of this research is to develop a strategic roadmap for providers to use when engaging consumers in HIT. Interviews and a literature search of journals and other publications were completed to find successful actions related to engagement of consumers. The research used included healthcare entities in addition to strategic planning practices within business administration. The findings were used to create a method for developing a consumer HIT engagement roadmap. A roadmap was also successfully developed, which can be utilized by organizations as a basis for tailoring their own strategic plans.