Skip to main content
Log in

The Impact of CyberHealthcare on the Physician–Patient Relationship

Journal of Medical Systems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

It is estimated that 70 million Americans have used the Internet to acquire health-related information. Multiple factors provide the driving force behind this demand for online health information. Information technology is beginning to change the exclusive focus of medicine from curing disease to prevention of disease and enhancing health status. A critical feature of this change is the development of information and services that assist consumers to assume more responsibility for their own health and to actively participate in health care decisions. At the same time, physicians remain skeptical about the advantages of using the Internet for patient education. Some of the issues that this paper addresses include the following: What are the major factors that are leading to the increased use of the Internet by consumers to obtain health-related information? How do physicians view the use of the Internet by patients to obtain health-related information and services? How is the use of the Internet by consumers affecting physician–patient communications? What are the implications of the Internet for the future of physician–patient relationships?

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

REFERENCES

  1. DiMaggio, P. Hargittai, E., Neuman, W. R., and Robinson, J. P., Social implications of the Internet. Annu. Rev. Sociol. 27:307–336, 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Cain, M. M., Mittman, R., and Sarasohn-Kahn, J., Wayne Health e-people: The Online Consumer Experience, Institute for the Future, California Health Care Foundation, Oakland, CA, 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Anderson, J. G., and Goodman, K. W., Ethics and Information Technology: A Case-Based Approach to a Health Care System in Transition, Springer, 2002.

  4. Reents, S., and Miller, T. E., The health care industry in transition—The online mandate to change. Cyber Dialogue, 1998. http://www.cyberdialogue.com/free_data/white_papers/intel_health_day.html

  5. Eysenbach, G., and Diepgen, T. L., Teleprevention and Teleepidemiology with the patient information system NeurodermIS on the World-Wide-Web. In Greiser, E., and Wischnewsky, M. (Hrsg.), Methoden der Medizinischen Informatik, Biometrie und Epidemiologie in der modernen Informationsgesellschaft, MMW Medizin-Verlag, München, S.251-S.253, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Eysenbach, G., Bauer, J., Sager, A., Bittorf, A., and Diepgen, T. L., An international dermatological image atlas on the WWW: Practical use for undergraduate and continuing medical education, patient education and epidemiological research. In Cesnik, B., McCray, A. T., and Scherrer, J. R. (eds.), Medinfo98, Proceedings of the Ninth World Congress on Medical Informatics, IOS Press, Amsterdam, pp. 788–792, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Eysenbach, G., and Diepgen, T. L., Patients looking for information on the Internet and seeking teleadvice: Motivation, expectations, and misconceptions as expressed in e-mails sent to physicians. Arch. Dermatol. 135:151–156, 1999. http://www.ama-assn.org/sci-pubs/journals/archive/derm/vol_135/no_2/dst8029.htm

    Google Scholar 

  8. Shelstad, K. R., and Clevenger, F. W., Information retrieval patterns and needs among practicing general surgeons: A statewide experience. Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 84(4):490–497, 1996.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Pencheon, D., NHS direct: Evaluate, integrate or bust. BMJ 317:1026–1027, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Anderson, J. G., The business of cyberhealthcare. MD Computing 16(6):23–25, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Eysenbach, G., and Diepgen, T. L., Responses to unsolicited patient e-mail requests for medical advice on the World Wide Web. JAMA 280:1333–1335, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  12. O'Connor, A., Rostom, A., Fiset, V., Tetroe, J., Entwistle, V., Llewellyn-Thomas, H., Holmes-Rovner, M., Barry, M., and Jones, J. Decision aids for patients facing health treatment or screening decisions: Systematic review. BMJ 319:731–734, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Strecher, V. J., and Bernhardt, J. M., Internet-based provider-patient interactions—The prognosis is out. In Business Briefing Global Health Care, 52nd World Medical Association General Assembly, Edinburgh, Scotland, pp. 74–77, October 3–7, 2000.

  14. Bouhaddon, O., Lambert, J. G., and Miller, S., Consumer health informatics: Knowledge and evaluation studies of Medical HouseCall. Proc. AMIA Symp. 612–616, 1998.

  15. Brennan, P. F., and Strombom, I., Improving health care by understanding patient preferences: The role of computer technology. J. Am. Med. Inform. Assoc. 5(3):257–262, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Barry, M. J., Fowler, F. J., Mulley, A. G., Henderson, J. V., and Wennberg, J. E., Patient reactions to a program designed to facilitate patient participation in treatment decisions for benign prostatic hyperplasia. Med. Care. 33(8):772–773, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Lenert, L. A., and Soetikno, R. M., Automated computer interviews to elicit utilities: Potential application in the treatment of deep venous thrombosis. J. Am. Med. Inform. Assoc. 4(1):449–456, 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Hafner, K., Can the Internet cure the common cold? The New York Times, July 9, 1998. http://www.corporateserver.com/qiodemo/nyt.htm

  19. Lundberg, G. D., Providing reliable medical information to the public—Caveat lector. JAMA 262:945–946, 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Oreilly, M., Helping patients untangle a web of misinformation. Can. Med. Assoc. J. 162(12):1727–1728, 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Key, S. W., and DeNoon, D. J., Internet opens up secret world of medicine. AIDS Weekly Plus 20–22, 1997.

  22. Coulter, A., Entwistle, V., and Gilbert, D., Sharing decisions with patients: Is the information good enough? BMJ 318:318–322, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Forrester, Why doctors hate the net. http://www.forrester.com/ER/Research/Interviews/0,1338,9114,FF.html

  24. Sibbald, B., US physicians shunning online communication with patients. JAMC 164(8):1198, 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Marshall, M. N., Shekelle, P. G., Leatherman, S., and Brook, R. H., The public release of performance data: What do we expect to gain? A review of the evidence. JAMA 283(14):1866–1874, 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Carrns, A., AMA fights for control over doctor-price data web sites are providing. The Wall Street Journal. pp. A1,A5, August 25,2000.

  27. Keep data bank access limited. American Medical News, tApril 3, 2000.

  28. Parker, M., and Gray, J. A., What is the role of clinical ethics support in the era of e-medicine? J. Med. Ethics 27:133–135, 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Electronic medicine: Possibilities and perils. Lancet 352(9134):1079, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  30. LaPorte, R. E., Telepreventive medicine—The autobahn to health. BMJ 313(7069), 1996.

  31. Gustafson, D. H., Robinson, T. N., Ansley, D., Adler, L., and Brennan, P. F., Consumers and Evaluation of interactive health communication applications. Am. J. Prev. Med. 16(1):23–29, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Eysenbach, G., and Diepgen, T. L., Towards quality management of medical information on the Internet: Evaluation, labelling, and filtering of information. BMJ 317:1496–1500, 1998. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/317/7171/1496

    Google Scholar 

  33. Eysenbach, G., and Diepgen, T. L., Epidemiological data can be gathered with World Wide Web [Letter]. BMJ 316(7124):72, 1998. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/316/7124/72

    Google Scholar 

  34. Eysenbach, G., Wyatt, J., Facilitating research via the Internet. In McKenzie, B., Internet and Medicine (3rd edition), Oxford University Press, 2002.

  35. Pemberton, P. J., and Goldblatt, J., The Internet and the changing roles of doctors, patients and families. MJA 169:594–595, 1998. http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/xmas98/pemberton/pemberton.html

    Google Scholar 

  36. Goldsmith, J., How will the Internet change our health system? Health Aff. 19(1):148–156, 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Shortliffe, E. H., Networking health: Learning from others, taking the lead. Health Aff. 19(6):9–22, 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Tadjer, R., Better medicine: Health-care providers look to the net. http://www.informationweek.com/776/health.htm. March 6, 2000.-

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to James G. Anderson.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Anderson, J.G., Rainey, M.R. & Eysenbach, G. The Impact of CyberHealthcare on the Physician–Patient Relationship. Journal of Medical Systems 27, 67–84 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021061229743

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021061229743

Navigation