Is Web Technology Changing Healthcare?

From electronic health records to online patient communities, it seems that computers and web technology are dramatically changing the way healthcare is delivered. A recent report by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that 61% of American adults go online for health information. These web-savvy patients, often called “e-patients,” come to their doctors armed with information (and occasionally misinformation) about their symptoms, conditions, and treatments. But is this a good thing?

According to a survey by Manhattan Research, the majority of physicians (two-thirds) welcome the e-patient trend. However, respondents to the MDsearch.com survey weren’t quite so enthusiastic – 32% of our respondents reported feeling concerned upon hearing their patients were using the internet to research their symptoms. Others reported feeling irritated and indifferent. Only 19% said they felt “pleased.” The most frequently cited cause for concern was the many unreliable sources found online. Depending on where patients get their information, they may be misinformed or have increased (and often unrealistic) expectations of their treating physician.

One expectation that on the surface doesn’t seem all that unreasonable is that a physician should be accessible by email to answer a patient’s questions and concerns. Email has become the standard form of communication in most industries, and yet there is no debating the fact that doctors have been slow adopters. A recent MDsearch.com survey asked physicians if they communicated with patients via email, and responses were split equally between physicians who said they use email only “occasionally” when communicating with patients and those who “never” use email with patients. Another 12% qualified their response of “never” by saying that they would be happy to communicate via email if their time would be reimbursed. Other concerns surrounding emailing patients are the security issues that arise when discussing health information online; fears about miscommunications; worries about patients abusing the direct access; and concerns that the correspondence will not be integrated with a patient’s medical records.

One might assume that as medical records move into the digital age, integrating email with those records wouldn’t be far behind. However, despite pressure from the government to move to an electronic system, many physician offices are still using paper, and among those who have made the switch, very few are happy with their current system. According to the MDsearch survey, 37% of respondents work in offices or facilities that use electronic medical records, but only one-third of those respondents are pleased with their system. The others feel the new system is not worth the trouble.

Despite problems with EMR’s and legitimate concerns about using email, healthcare can’t hide from web technology forever. As an increasing number of patients look to the web for health information, the physician-patient relationship is evolving and physicians must find ways to embrace the new relationship and encourage empowered patients to take an active role in their healthcare.