While the public's yearning for health news and information can be seen in the popularity of such TV shows as "The Doctors" and websites like WebMD, these outlets only hint at the possibilities that technology will have on health care in the near future, says Maryalice Jordan-Marsh, a USC professor of social work.

Already the Veterans Administration uses smart phones to check on blood sugar levels and the Nintendo Wii videogames measure a person's fitness. The United Nations has begun linking rural patients in developing countries to desperately needed doctors thousands of miles away through mobile phones apps.

On the horizon are cell phone breath analyzers, microscope phone attachments, and a wise home that prevents slip-and-fall injuries by noting a person is wobbly.

"If we are to thrive, we need to fundamentally change the way we think about the delivery and interaction in health care," Jordan-Marsh said.

In her new book, "Health Technology Literacy: A Transdisciplinary Framework for Consumer-Oriented Practice," Jordan-Marsh details how the public – health consumers – will be expected to inform and support their own health care decisions and how technology will play an integral role. The book brings both health professionals and savvy consumers up to date and provides insight into the future.

"Health is going mobile, to and through your mobile phone," Jordan-Marsh said. "If we expect people to be in charge of their own health care, we have to reach them where they are willing to pay attention."

Jordan-Marsh, who started her research decades ago in pediatrics and most recently has been studying gerontology, merged her two interests as she partners with USC School of Cinematic Arts Professor Marientina Gotsis in developing "exergames," that can help a child who is obese or a senior citizen who needs to get into shape after surgery.

One of Jordan-Marsh's video game projects with students has resulted in two national awards from the White House as part of first lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! Initiative. A major health care company is interested in developing another.

The video games, a project in partnership with the USC School of Cinematic Arts and USC Viterbi School of Engineering, explore how to improve players' health behaviors and outcomes using fun and education.

"Technology can promote, sustain and restore health," Jordan-Marsh said. "We want to think ahead, keep people at their current level of health, and for those who are sick or had an accident, we need to restore their health. We can accomplish these goals better by embracing technology."