The Consumer Health Informatics Working Group (CHIWG) of the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) define it as "the use of modern computers and telecommunications to support consumers in obtaining information, analyzing unique health care needs and helping them make decisions about their own health".
[1] CHI includes patient-focused informatics, health literacy, and consumer education.
The focus of this field is to allow consumers to manage their own health, through the use of internet-based strategies and resources with consumer-friendly language.
[4] It includes: information resources, communications, remote monitoring, videoconferencing, and telepresence.
The Kaiser model[further explanation needed] is an example of allowing patients to remotely communicate with their physicians or other healthcare professionals.