Who are the new healthcare consumers, affectionately known as e-patients? They are men and women of all ages. They are loved ones caring for a sick family member. They are friends helping other friends. They have acid reflux. They have diabetes. They have cancer. And...
- They want to know their results.
- They want to know their diagnoses.
- And they want to know now.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is participatory medicine, and our cyber journey is just beginning.
The internet has created a cultural shift that is affecting health care. People have access to a deeper level of information that they didn't five years ago. Not only are they educating themselves, family members and friends, but they are creating connections online through social media and forming online communitites where they can share their stories and experiences with others just like them.
Here are some interesting stats about the new healthcare consumer:
- 61% of adults say they look online for health information.
- About 20% of e-patients turn to the internet and social-networking sites where they can talk to medical experts and other patients.
- Half of online health inquiries are for someone other than the person searching.
- Women are more likely to conduct health searches than men.
Also, the people conducting these online searches are more likely to be younger while those with chronic diseases, who tend to be older, are less likely to go online.
Some people are taking matters into their own hands using websites like Microsoft's My Health Info and Google Health to enter their lab results and track changes over time (e.g. - blood pressure, cholesterol). In our world of instant gratification, where we receive update alerts every hour on the hour, patients want to educate themselves beyond what the doctors are telling them. Therefore they turn to the internet and social networking sites that allow them to put their own medical data online.
Don't forget about the power of the mobile device! Blackberries, iPhones and Droids (oh my!) are making health information access even easier, not only for e-patients but for everyone. In September 2009, the Centers for Disease Control developed a text messaging program that you can sign up for to have updates on health topics and health tips sent directly to your phone. In January 2010, the National Library of Medicine released a mobile version of MedlinePlus.gov which is a service that provides health information sent direclty to a mobile device.
What does this mean for the medical profession? Will doctors become insignifcant? Will the need for doctors phase out, perhaps one day like newspapers or books? Of course not.
Although people are feeling more empowered, gaining knowledge about health topics and getting confidence to ask their doctors more questions...guess what? The source patients say they trust the most? Their own doctor.
Image: Yaron Jeroen van Oostrom / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
