If there was any remaining question regarding the revolutionary impact of the Internet on communication between physicians and patients, a recent report provides a most provocative answer. In a survey conducted by Manhattan Research, "Physicians in 2012: The Outlook on Health Information Technology", it was noted that 39% of physicians use some form of electronic media such as e-mail, instant messaging, and secure messaging to communicate with their patients.
More than 75% of the healthcare providers surveyed agreed that patients with cancer benefit from participating in a clinical trial.
PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE shown that stress often accompanies a diagnosis of cancer, and patients who report high levels of stress often have worse outcomes.
The increasing popularity of social networking Websites is one of the more interesting aspects of the rapidly evolving information technology sector, as it allows families, friends, business associates, or simply people with similar interests to easily communicate with each other, either privately or in a public forum.
It never ceases to amaze me how quickly and efficiently purveyors of unregulated nonscientific and potentially dangerous "alternative medical" products can mobilize their Web-based marketing strategies after a serious new public health concern becomes well-publicized.
April 27th 2010
May 6th 2010