HealthDesk for Hemophilia: an interactive computer and communications system for chronic illness self-management

HealthDesk for Hemophilia is an interactive computer software application designed on the premise that successful chronic illness self-management requires information, self-care skills, on-going communication with health care providers, and user-friendly record keeping. The software was pilot tested for six months in the homes of eight hemophilia patients. The purpose of the pilot was to assess the impact of HealthDesk for Hemophilia on patient satisfaction, patient-provider communication, and user confidence in chronic illness self-management. Results from the pilot show that when HealthDesk for Hemophilia is made available to patients and their families, they use it, value it, and gain confidence in their illness self-management skills. Users also report high satisfaction with their health care providers.