The California Healthcare Foundation (CHCF) just published a must-read report called Participatory Health: Online and Mobile Tools Help Chronically Ill Manage Their Care, by health economist and management consultant Jane Sarasohn-Kahn.

"Many of the entrants into this market are from outside traditional health organizations," Sarasohn-Kahn writes in her conclusion. "Health Providers, institutions, and suppliers to the industry will need to adapt to the world of participatory health, in order to be perceived as relevant and useful to those pioneering patients who are embracing self-care."

Sage advice for an industry facing convergence. Sarasohn-Kahn also offers very concrete advice for those providers looking to offer participatory health services. Here is one rubric she provides that details some of the necessary steps for a successful service:

Support for the full range of a patient's health activities, including self-defined regimens;
Regular monitoring of patient status;
Ongoing adjustment of health regimen by patient and/or providers based on patient status (through connecting with providers and health coaches);
Interpretation of patient data in relation to individual treatment goals;
Timely communication to the patient of tailored and actionable recommendations and advice;
Repetition of this cycle at appropriate intervals.

The CHCF report authored by Sarasohn-Kahn includes interviews with Dr. Joseph Kvedar from Partners Center for Connected Health, Amy Tenderich from DiabetesMine, Rajiv Mehta from ZumeLife, Dr. Mark Blatt about Intel's Health Guide and many, many more. The report provides an extensive introduction that includes an analysis of the drivers of the participatory health movement and includes insights into the challenges facing this emerging industry.

Read it here (in .PDF format) over at the CHCF site.