9. Build around established health data and transmission standards. "You should strive to use commonly accepted industry standards so that communication and interoperability are supported across health IT applications and systems," write AHRQ officials. "These standards are meant to promote health information liquidity, coordination and overall usefulness. … Consumer health IT products can be designed to operate independently from other products, but they may become obsolete more quickly. At the national level, for example, greater emphasis is being placed on enabling electronic health records to integrate patient-generated data. Emerging products need to be designed with this reality in mind."

10. Market effectively – and listen to customers once the product is adopted. Some consumer health IT, especially Web-based tools, are ideal for post launch revisions, according to the report – which warns, however, that "customers may not respond as positively to changes in health IT devices because they may no longer trust the quality or reliability of the product."


Access the full report here.


[See also: Consumer demand for healthcare IT 'never stronger,' survey shows]