"The Internet and Health Care: Theory, Research, and Practice" is the expression of a new generation of e-researchers and practitioners committed to excellence in investigating a new and still little known phenomenon. This book presents an in-depth introduction to the field of health care and the Internet, from international and interdisciplinary perspectives. It combines expertise in the areas of the social sciences, medicine, policy, and systems analysis. With an international collection of contributors, as well as notable scholars from the United States, it provides a current examination of key issues and research projects in the area. Methods and data used in the chapters include personal interviews, focus groups, observations, regional and national surveys, online transcript analysis, and much more. Sections in the book cover: e-Health trends and theory; searching, discussing, and evaluating online health information at the individual level of analysis; discussing health information at the group or community level of analysis; and implementing health information systems at the regional and social level of analysis.