ABSTRACT
Digital Interactive Television (DiTV) had the potential to attract a large audience. This audience comprised an extensive number of occasional users rather than a large regular audience, but that probably reflects the nature of the health need. DiTV is a very new platform for health information and a major issue was whether the information could be trusted, and whether the National Health Service (NHS) brand had any impact. The role played by DiTV as a health information source was dependent upon need and circumstance. For some people the service acted as an alternative to seeing the doctor. For others, the information was useful as an aid for their consultations. Thus, DiTV was found to be the second most important source of health information used as an alternative to seeing the doctor. The DiTV pilots featured a range of digital formats text and video based services and interactive and transactional services.
