Relationship-Relevant and Family-Friendly eHealth: Innovations in Interactive Health Communication Systems

Abstract

As the reach of the Internet grows, eHealth is fast becoming a major adjunct to traditional delivery of health information and support worldwide. Existing Interactive health communication systems, however, typically target individual users, focus on individual rather than on relational health, and neglect the relational and familial context of individual health issues. Reviewing developments primarily in the United States, this article applies a “marriage and family lens” to examine web-based technologies for health and well-being and suggests innovations to make eHealth both relationship relevant and family friendly. Although recent innovations offer great promise for supporting the relational “fabric” of family life, specific cautions and the need for research on effectiveness are underscored.

KEYWORDS:

• eHealth
• family relationships
• health
• health communication
• well-being

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

We express our gratitude for support from the National Cancer Institute (P50 CA095817-01A1).