Using the Internet to deliver health care value

Beyond the popular uses of the Internet by HCOs--for recruiting employees, purchasing supplies and promoting brand and service awareness--lie a host of opportunities to add value to consumers online. All HCO programs can be enhanced through online initiatives: wellness and health promotion, risk reduction, prevention, early detection, symptom management, life event management, acute treatment and rehabilitation, disease management and end-of-life improvement. And beyond online initiatives in each of these categories lies the potential to use the Net for reminding consumers, individually and collectively, of the health and quality of life benefits they are gaining, thereby adding to the HCO's marketing and PR success.