Understanding Healthcare
Date Initiated: January 2001

The book Understanding Healthcare is intended for the general public. It covers a wide array of health topics, including guidance on how to make effective use of the Internet and other high-tech tools to improve personal health. In supporting development of the book, the Markle Foundation furthered its goal of empowering consumers, through information technology-and through information generally-to become more active participants in their own care.

Author Richard Saul Wurman, who developed Understanding Healthcare with support from the Markle Foundation, as well as Johnson & Johnson and the UnitedHealth Group, is a highly-acclaimed information architect whose books and TED (technology, entertainment and design) symposia have simplified the way people comprehend complex subjects.

Understanding Healthcare arose from Mr. Wurman's concept that the human body should have a "dashboard"-similar to the ones in cars-which would show at a glance the current state of a person's health. The book helps readers to achieve such an overview and to take action to better manage their care. It is divided into three sections: "Understanding Yourself," an owner's manual for the human body; "Understanding Them," facts about medical professionals involved in the delivery of healthcare; and "Making it Happen," which delves into understanding medical access, costs and coverage.

Advisors to the content of Understanding Healthcare included more than 60 prominent physicians, scientists, and healthcare professionals, who reviewed all sections of the book under the guidance of the Foundation for Accountability (FACCT), a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve healthcare for Americans.

See sample spreads from the book at www.understandinghealthcare.com. It can be purchased in major bookstores nationwide and through online retailers.