**2. The potential of HITs in chronic disease management**

HITs include a broad range of technologies, electronic tools, applications, or systems that provide patient care, information, recommendations, or services for promotion of health and health care [9]. The advantages of using HITs in health care have been well documented [10–13]. They have the potential to empower patients and support a transition from a role in which the patient is the passive recipient of care services to an active role in which the patient is informed, has choices, and is involved in the decision-making process [10]. They are also designed to promote communication and relationships between clinicians and patients and overcome geographical barriers and logistical inconvenience when seeking health-care services [11]. In the realm of chronic disease management, a variety of technologies have shown their positive effects. For examples, electronic health record system provides reminders at the point of care for providers to identify high-priority clinical areas for patients with complex chronic illness [14]; telemonitoring system provides asthma patients with continuous individualized help in the daily routine of asthma self-care [12]; Web-based applications increase knowledge, problemsolving skills, and social support via an interactive system for patients with cancers [13]; mobile technology devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and cellular phones enable additional resources to care and change the location of care; and mobile phone short message service (SMS) were able to remind patients of scheduled visits, deliver test results, and monitor side effects of treatment [15–17]. The HIT-enabled self-care keeps evolving and attempts to address more challenging health-care issues, such as diabetes management where patients need comprehensive information and ongoing guidance as they work to develop a diverse knowledge and skills.
