Is doctor-patient relationship influenced by health online information? (original) (raw)

The Implications of Internet Use in the Doctor-Patient Relationship: A Case Study in A Hospital in the City of São Paulo - Brazil.

Que a medicina mudou muito nas últimas décadas não é nenhuma novidade, a questão é que os pacientes também mudaram. Mediante ao comportamento deste novo perfil de paciente, onde o uso da tecnologia passa a ser muito presente em suas rotinas, surge um renovado modelo na relação médico-paciente. Sendo assim, este artigo pretende identificar e analisar os impactos do uso das TI, principalmente no uso da internet nas relações humanas entre pacientes e médicos. Cada uma das 10 clínicas da população estudada receberam 20 questionários (pré-testados) para distribuição em uma amostra de conveniência. Observou-se que a internet é uma fonte importante para conhecimentos sobre a saúde nas relações de médicos e pacientes. Tais descobertas indicam uma mudança no papel do paciente, de um recipiente passivo da assistência para um consumidor ativo de informações sobre saúde e isto tem o potencial de promover um engajamento maior na manutenção e cuidado da saúde.

The Effect of the Internet on the Patient-Doctor Relationship in a Hospital in the City of São Paulo

Journal of Information Systems and Technology Management, 2014

Internet use by patients as a source of information on health and disease is expanding rapidly with obvious effects on the doctor-patient relationship. A self-administered questionnaire was used, about physicians´ perception on the use of the Internet by patients and about whether that use interferes with the doctor-patient relationship. 85.3% of the physicians reported that their patients accessed the Internet and that 92% used that information in a following visit. Overall, 56.9% of the physicians thought that the Internet helped the doctor-patient relationship, 27.6% thought it interfered with the relationship, and 15.5% believed that the Internet had a negative impact on it.

Information from the Internet and the doctor-patient relationship: the patient perspective – a qualitative study

BMC Family Practice, 2007

Background: Both doctors and patients may perceive the Internet as a potential challenge to existing therapeutic relationships. Here we examine patients' views of the effect of the Internet on their relationship with doctors. Methods: We ran 8 disease specific focus groups of between 2 and 8 respondents comprising adult patients with diabetes mellitus, ischaemic heart disease or hepatitis C. Results: Data are presented on (i) the perceived benefits and (ii) limitations of the Internet in the context of the doctor-patient relationship, (iii) views on sharing information with doctors, and (iv) the potential of the Internet for the future. Information from the Internet was particularly valued in relation to experiential knowledge. Conclusion: Despite evidence of increasing patient activism in seeking information and the potential to challenge the position of the doctor, the accounts here do not in any way suggest a desire to disrupt the existing balance of power, or roles, in the consultation. Patients appear to see the Internet as an additional resource to support existing and valued relationships with their doctors. Doctors therefore need not feel challenged or threatened when patients bring health information from the Internet to a consultation, rather they should see it as an attempt on the part of the patient to work with the doctor and respond positively.

The Impact of Health Information on the Internet on the Physician-Patient Relationship

Archives of Internal Medicine, 2003

Background Use of the Internet for health information continues to grow rapidly, but its impact on health care is unclear. Concerns include whether patients' access to large volumes of information will improve their health; whether the variable quality of the information will have a deleterious effect; the effect on health disparities; and whether the physician-patient relationship will be improved as patients become more equal partners, or be damaged if physicians have difficulty adjusting to a new role.

Internet information and medical consultations: experiences from patients' and physicians' perspectives

Patient education and …, 2009

Objective: Many patients use the Internet to obtain health-related information. It is assumed that healthrelated Internet information (HRII) will change the consultation practice of physicians. This article explores the strategies, benefits and difficulties from the patients' and physicians' perspective. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted independently with 32 patients and 20 physicians. Data collection, processing and analysis followed the core principles of Grounded Theory. Results: Patients experienced difficulties in the interpretation of the personal relevance and the meaning of HRII. Therefore they relied on their physicians' interpretation and contextualisation of this information. Discussing patients' concerns and answering patients' questions were important elements of successful consultations with Internet-informed patients to achieve clarity, orientation and certainty. Discussing HRII with patients was appreciated by most of the physicians but misleading interpretations by patients and contrary views compared to physicians caused conflicts during consultations. Conclusion: HRII is a valuable source of knowledge for an increasing number of patients. Patients use the consultation to increase their understanding of health and illness. Determinants such as a patientcentred consultation and timely resources are decisive for a successful, empowering consultation with Internet-informed patients. Practical implications: If HRII is routinely integrated in the anamnestic interview as a new source of knowledge, the Internet can be used as a link between physicians' expertise and patient knowledge. The critical appraisal of HRII during the consultation is becoming a new field of work for physicians. ß

The Patient-Physician Relationship in the Internet Age: Future Prospects and the Research Agenda

Journal of Medical Internet Research, 2001

In the "Internet Age," physicians and patients have unique technological resources available to improve the patient-physician relationship. How they both utilize online medical information will influence the course of their relationship and possibly influence health outcomes. The decision-making process may improve if efforts are made to share the burden of responsibility for knowledge. Further benefits may arise from physicians who assist patients in the information-gathering process. However, further research is necessary to understand these differences in the patient-physician relationship along with their corresponding effects on patient and physician satisfaction as well as clinical outcomes.

“Can I Trust You, Doc?”: User Perception Of Online Health Information

Klikdokter.com is one of websites that provides information service about health. Besides, it also provides live chat service i.e., question and answer about health which is directly claimed and answered by the specialist doctors. According to the survey conducted by IndoPacific Edelman and Research Unit and Community Service of Public Health Faculty of Indonesia University, the amount of 79% doctors believes in the most accurate health information source on the internet. Moreover, a study entitle Patients Use of the Internet for Medical Information shows that 53,5% out of 512 patients use internet as a media to find out information about health. The trust of doctors and internet users towards health information is indeed influenced by several factors. Therefore, the aim of this research is to analyze the factors that influence the trust of users towards the health information uploaded on klikdokter,com using ten construct variables. The data is collected from klikdokter.com users with 250 respondents. The data is analyzed using structural equation modeling analysis (SEM). The result shows that factors that influence Trust are perceived information quality, source expertise and argument quality.

How do patients make use of health-related information from the internet? Investigating the views of the public and healthcare professiona;

Patients’ use of health-related information from the Internet is increasing at an exponential rate. Although we have some information about how health professionals use the Internet (Roscoe, 1998; Wilson, 1999) we know little about how patients utilise this information. Some patients may actively seek information to assume more responsibility for their health. However, others may feel forced into doing so because of failing confidence in health care provision. Health professionals have the potential to assist patients to make sense of health information from the Internet; however, they may not necessarily welcome this role (Wilson, 1999; Eberhart-Phillips et al., 2000). This study aims to evaluate patient use of such information in primary care and to establish how this can be directed in the future. 851 adult patients from general practice were surveyed about the health information they use, including the Internet. 50 patients from the survey were then randomly selected for interview. Abstracts 242 International Journal of Consumer Studies, 27, 3, June 2003, pp218–251 © 2003 Blackwell Publishing Ltd 12 health care professionals were also interviewed about how patients use the Internet and the impact this has on consultations. The majority of patients (80%) prefer to use their GP as a source of health information. The remaining sources of information received significantly lower ratings. However, the Internet was the second most preferred source of information (7%). Of those using the Internet about two thirds felt more prepared and able to participate in decision-making about treatments. The majority of patients rely on their doctor for health information. However, many patients actively use the Internet as an information source. The use of Internet information during consultations is on the increase, and although patients are positive about such use, doctors do not necessarily welcome Internet informed patients. It is now necessary to identify the training needs of health care professionals for dealing appropriately with Internet informed patients.

The Attitudes of Egyptian Web-Based Health Information Seekers Toward Health Information Provided Through the Internet: Qualitative Study

Background: The internet has become an established source of health information for many Egyptian internet users. Understanding users' attitudes toward the benefits and limitations of web-based health information will explain the influence of this information on users' health-related behavior and decisions. Objective: This qualitative study aims to understand the attitude of Egyptian internet users toward internet health information and to explore the impact of obtained health information on users' behavior and on their physician-patient relationship. Methods: For this qualitative study, semistructured interviews were conducted with a total of 49 participants (41/49, 84% Egyptian internet users and 8/49, 16% physicians) who participated in focus groups or individual interviews. We used a thematic analysis approach to explain and demonstrate participants' views, thoughts, and experiences in using web-based health information. Results: The internet has become an important source of health information in comparison with other health information sources and is the central theme that has emerged across the thematic analysis. The attitude toward the use of internet health was classified into three main themes: feeling toward web-based health information (with subthemes: favoring, disliking, neutral, or having ambivalence feelings), motivators to seek internet health information, and behavioral changes using internet health information (subthemes: confidence, satisfaction, and improved knowledge). Themes that emerged from physicians' interviews included the accessibility of the internet health information, good communication, and coordination of care between patients and their physicians, and the active engagement of patients with their management plan. Conclusions: The internet has become an essential source of health information for Egyptian adults. Internet health information can improve the patient-physician relationship, especially when users discuss the obtained health information with their physician. Internet health information provided seekers with social support and self-confidence when making health decisions.

Perceptions of Medical and Dental Doctors on Dealing with ‘Google Informed Patients’

Pakistan Journal of Medical and Health Sciences, 2022

Objective: To explore the perceptions of the health professionals regarding internet health-seeking behaviour of patients and problems faced by recent medical and dental graduates. Methods: Eight General physicians and six dental surgeons from different regions of Sialkot and seven recent medical and dental graduates were selected via purposive sampling technique. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews over the phone with prior appointments. Manual qualitative thematic analysis was performed by transcribing the interviews and then codes, subthemes, and themes were generated. Results: Six themes and sixteen subthemes were identified depicting the perceptions of physician and problems faced by recent medical and dental graduates, namely: doctor-patient relationship enhanced (due to patients presenting better history, improved communication, and consultations in a healthy environment), Time saved in consultations (makes the task easier, informed patients are helpful and give better results), Threat to patient safety (self-medication, on-compliant to medicines and advices and understanding issues) difficult to counsel(information overload), Frustration (patients stick to conclusions, lack of understanding) and Professional disregard (as patients challenge physician authority, defamation, change their doctors, lack of trust) Conclusion: The theatrical increase of patients' access to internet health information has caused unpredictable quality impacts on the doctor-patient relationship. Future recommendations have been suggested to overcome the challenges faced by health professionals due to the online searching behaviour of patients and hence improving the health outcomes.