Developed by a regional health consortium, this plan defines the purpose of planning for consumer health education; explores the implications of recent legislation and historical precedents on consumer health education and consumer participation in the health planning process; documents current activities; develops priorities for future efforts; discusses current problems in the system; and recommends actions necessary to insure adequacy and quality in consumer health education. The plan also includes an analysis of inventories of current or potential activities or providers of consumer health; mortality and morbidity data for the Orange County planning region; documentation of existing planning and coordination efforts; discussion of coordinated activities promoting innovation and creative approaches, barriers to current health care and health education utilization, and the need for a comprehensive consumer health education dissemination system. The need and possible methods to insure participation from consumers who represent consumer/community-based interests are also addressed. It is recommended that a single agency be designated to plan, coordinate, and implement a comprehensive consumer health education system with appropriate level of funding to discharge responsibilities. (Author/BM)