It’s no surprise to anyone that patients are turning to the Internet for information about their health. Consequently, it’s more important each passing day for health professionals to understand that Facebook, Google, health news and patient online support groups will not replace the medical community. The Web is merely a tool that allows for more open conversation between providers and patients. However, because of this broad use of the Internet, clinicians need to use social media and the broader Internet to help educate the patient. Through the Web doctors, nurses and health care organizations have a great opportunity to provide accurate, reliable and truthful medical information to the health care consumer, and help a broad base of patients.
Still, many providers question the communication value of Internet as a whole and social media in particular. Vast quantities of health information are available on the web and some providers feel that patients may be given inaccurate information. Still other practices worry about potential liability in commenting on various conditions, or consumer postings on practice Facebook pages. Finally, some doctors resent the potential ramifications of conflicting medical information.
In a recent New England Journal of Medicine article by Pamela Hartzband and Jerome Groopman the authors note that, "Doctors have to get used to the fact they are no longer the sole source of a patient’s health information. Instead, they need to serve more as interpreters of data, and be willing to separate the tangible information from the increasing amount of noise patients find online". In discussing the physician's own use of email to interact with patients Hartzband and Groopman continue,"E-mail is quite different from speaking with a patient face to face, and doctors must consider carefully what they say and how they say it...written dialogue is quite different from spoken conversation: replies may be delayed, phrases may be more stilted, tone of voice is absent. We should pay close attention to any unintentional fraying of the physician–patient bond" . So while caution is noted, the inevitability of the Internet has been acknowledged in the medical community. The bottom line is that face to face communication still remains critical for the doctor/patient relationship.
The upside in this communication shift is that highly involved and educated patients are proactive in their health care. By engaging in online health forums, patients get emotional and informational support from medical sources and others dealing with health care issues. They can gather health information from the Internet to help them gain knowledge, collaborate and share medical information. They in fact become health care consumers that can talk to their clinicians about conditions, concerns and make knowledgeable decisions about their care.
Luckily, researching health information on the Internet has never been easier. Patients can interact in health communities, on practice sites, research venues and via social media, like Facebook and Twitter. In fact, 40% of online consumers use social networking sites for health information, and according to one study, 80% of these patients are highly engaged patients that take active roles in their own well-being.
So what does this mean regarding the way physicians and practices communicate with their patients? Well the data really encourages the health care community to embrace the benefits of the Internet and partner with patients in this new communications frontier. Additionally, the Web will never change the fundamental need for face to face interaction between doctor and patient. That personal relationship will continue to be key for the best patient care and greatest patient/clinician satisfaction.
No comments:
Post a Comment