Consumer health informatics: is there a role for HIM professionals?

There has been a vast increase in information available to the public through advancing medical research and the growth of the World Wide Web. There has also been a growing sense of professionalism evident among practitioners within the HIM field. Is a convergence of these two trends likely to lead to the reconceptualization of the work roles of at least some HIM professionals, so that they become involved with health information issues in new ways? Will new job types emerge? Will schools offering degree programs in HIM need to modify or expand curricula in order to help the field develop in this direction? Fundamentally, is there a role for the HIM professional to play in the various processes through which the public receives and utilizes information?