Informing the Public:

Health Information on the Internet

Dr. Joachim Haes, University of Lugano, Switzerland*

Tuesday, December 14th, 12:00 p.m.-1:00p.m.

Calder Lounge, Uris Hall

Western societies spend more and more on health. In the US, health spending climbed from 13% of GDP in 1997 to 14.6% in 2002. Today, US health costs are $5,267 per capita, most spent directly for diagnosis and treatment of illness.

Providing health education and information over the Internet may be a way to reduce health costs significantly while perhaps creating new business opportunities. Dr. Haes’ presentation will present preliminary findings from a study that analyzes the potential benefits of supplying health information over the Internet and predicts developments in Switzerland and the US.

Cost: Free. Sponsored by The Columbia Institute for Tele-Information. Please contact Ben Bloom at bb2125@columbia.edu or 212-854-4222 with any questions.

* Joachim Haes is a project manager and senior researcher at the Health Care Communication Laboratory of the University of Lugano (USI). An economist and communication expert, he pursues research in information economics, media management, and public communication.