As the Internet's presence in health care grows more pervasive, an increasing number of health care providers have begun to implement eHealth innovations in their practice.

This book explores the development of a model to predict and explain the degree of success it is possible to achieve in implementing e-health systems. It is aimed at practising professionals and students in all areas of medical informatics, hospital administration, and health care. The model developed here allows an institution to benchmark its progress towards IHCS implementation and advises administrators where to invest resources to increase the chance of successful implementation. A set of case studies highlights key features of the model. Each study describes an attempt by an organization to implement the Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System (CHESS), a proven IHCS. After examining the success or failure of each implementation, the book suggests steps that could have been taken to address weaknesses identified by the model.

From the reviews:

"This is the report of a project, funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, on the planning and implementation of a specific Interactive Health Communication System (IHCS). ? The editors state that the audience includes clinical providers, healthcare administrators, healthcare informatics professionals, and students. However, the more focused audience includes those who are implementing such systems and the administrators trying to secure a budget and support for such projects." (Judith A. DePalma, Doody's Review Service, December, 2007)