The Web is Changing the Doctor-Patient Relationship

A new Harris Poll finds that more adults than ever before are searching the Internet for health information and using this information when they visit their doctors.

Over the last 2 years the number of people using the Internet to find health information has increased from 53% to 71%, and the majority of these people state that they have searched for health information within the last month. 160 million people have searched the Internet for health information. The majority of people who have searched for health information online feel that were able to find what they were looking for and that the information was reliable. Additionally the majority of them state that they used this information to assist them in their conversations with their doctors. 55% state that they have searched for health information based on discussions with their doctor.

The researchers concluded that the internet "had a big impact on the knowledge of patients, the questions they ask their doctors and is therefore changing the doctor-patient relationship and the practice of medicine. There is every reason to believe the impact of the Internet on medical practice will continue to grow."

Source: Harris Interactive