Fyi,
>From the Better Health Technolgies E-Zine
Bob Pyke Jr
“THE RISE OF THE INTERNET HEALTH CONSUMER: IMPACTS OF THE INTERNET
ON THE DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP”

Cyberdialogue has released a 9-page summary describing changes in
doctor-patient relationships due to the Internet.
http:www.cyberdialogue.com/pdfs/white_papers/wp-cch-1999-doctors.pdf
The research examined impacts on doctor selection, on
doctor-patient roles, and on patient education.  A few interesting
findings:

**  50% of online users would be interested in using a web site
operated by their doctor’s office.  This contrasts with the 4% of
offices who have web sites.
**  48% of online patients would like to be able to communicate
with their doctors offices via e-mail, but only 3% are doing so.
11% are aware of their doctor’s e-mail address.
**  74% of online patients agree that a doctor’s recommendation
would make them more likely to trust a web site; however, only 4%
say that they currently use doctor recommendations as a means of
finding sites they use.

The report concludes:  “...the question is whether physicians will
participate themselves or leave (the Internet) as a medium for
others to control.”

PROMOTING PATIENT/PHYSICIAN PARTNERSHIPS:  10 CHALLENGES FOR THE
INTERNET AGE

A recent article in the British Medical Journal
<http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/319/7212/761> describes 10 key
challenges that must be met to allow optimal partnerships to
develop between patients and clinicians:

**  Collaboration between consumers and professional organisations
**  Understanding how patients and clinicians use the Internet
**  Systems need to be easy to access and use
**  Rapid access to information
**  Easy access to relevant, ready to use information
**  Integrating information
**  Balancing virtual and face to face interactions
**  Redefining the roles of patients and clinicians
**  Balancing privacy and connectivity
**  Ensuring equitable access to technology and information





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