Cathy M Andersen’s research while affiliated with Eastern Kentucky University and other places

Information therapy is the prescription of information intended to help patients understand their health and their health care issues. Information therapy is not a new concept, but the increasing emphasis on patient-centric care, the use of electronic information technologies, and the interest of consumers in health information make the use of information therapy appear more feasible than in the past. This article reviews the background of information therapy, shows the link between information therapy and patient-centric care, and suggests steps for developing an information therapy program within a health care organization.

In this article, security regulations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act concerning data sanitization and the disposal of media containing stored electronic protected health information are discussed, and methods for effective sanitization and media disposal are presented. When disposing of electronic media, electronic waste-or e-waste-is produced. Electronic waste can harm human health and the environment. Responsible equipment disposal methods can minimize the impact of e-waste. Examples of how health care organizations can meet the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations while also behaving responsibly toward the environment are provided. Examples include the environmental stewardship activities of reduce, reuse, reeducate, recover, and recycle.