The Division of eHealth (led by Lee Ritterband): eHealth is the integration of healthcare and technology, and occurs on both research and clinical fronts.  Being a part of the Department of Psychiatric Medicine, this Division on eHealth focuses primarily on psychological and psychiatric health related disorders.  Our research group has been involved in eHealth, specifically the development and testing of medical-behavioral treatments delivered via the Internet, since 1997.  We believe the Internet can be used to deliver engaging, interactive, and comprehensive treatment interventions tailored to an individual user aimed at improving outcome.  We are among the first who have begun to test the feasibility and effectiveness of delivering Internet interventions.  We have received significant grant funding on projects developing and evaluating these type of programs, including an Internet intervention for pediatric encopresis (funded by NICHD), an Internet intervention for insomnia (funded by NIMH), and a diabetes related Internet-based application, funded by the American Diabetes Association.  This process of operationalizing a treatment and converting it for Internet delivery has significant ramifications and can be expanded to numerous areas.

The eHealth Division encompasses both research and clinical components with ample opportunities for resident and fellow training.  Continued grant support and development and testing of Internet health interventions would proceed.  While our primary work has been in creating and demonstrating efficacy of the Internet health interventions, clearly as they are established, they will be able to be used clinically.  Clinical use of these systems will ultimately be coordinated by this division.