Philly Health Info: The College of Physicians of Philadelphia’s Regional Community Health Information Project

Abstract

The College of Physicians of Philadelphia has created Philly Health Info (PHI), a regional community health information model. PHI objectives are, first, to provide as many citizens of greater Philadelphia as possible with accurate, current, and understandable health information they can use to their benefit; and second, to test the feasibility of reaching a substantial proportion of people who are underserved through community sites such as library branches, community health centers, physician offices, and other convenient locations. The centerpiece of PHI is its Internet portal. This consumer-oriented portal focuses on regional health issues and offers a virtual directory of regional health resources and services. A pilot project was launched in the spring of 2004 to test the feasibility of bridging the digital divide by placing trained volunteers at Internet access sites in community locations. The first PHI site is located at the Northeast Branch of the Free Library.