Using the Internet Doesn't Harm Relationship With Doctor

[Guest guest]

Only 7% of patients in this study say the Internet is

their primary source of information; 83% say their

doctor is. Put me in the first group!

Physician-Patient Relationship Undamaged When Patients

Seek More Information

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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Dec 12 - Cancer patients'

increasing reliance on sources, such as the Internet

and the news media, for their medical information does

not seem to damage their relationship with their

physicians, Canadian physicians report.

" Patients are now more and more proactive — they trust

their doctors, but still want to learn more, " senior

author Dr. Lillian L. Siu, an assistant professor of

medicine at the University of Toronto told Reuters

Health. " Physicians in a busy practice can't give them

as much information as they would like to obtain. "

Dr. Siu, along with her colleague Dr. Xueyu Chen,

conducted a survey of 410 Canadian oncologists and 191

cancer patients to see if using outside news sources

impacts the doctor-patient relationship. Their

findings are published in the December 1st issue of

the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

The researchers found that nearly 54% of the cancer

patients said the medical information provided by

their doctors was not sufficient and 71% said they

searched for additional information on their disease

elsewhere. Of those who searched for more information,

50% used the Internet. However, doctors were the

primary source of information for 83% of patients,

compared with just 7% for the Internet.

The physicians were more ambiguous about their

patients' reliance on outside sources of medical

information. Sixty percent thought the medical

information provided by the media was accurate only

" sometimes " and nearly a quarter thought the

information was " rarely " accurate.

In addition, 90% of oncologists thought it was

difficult for their patients to correctly apply the

information they read to their own personal medical

condition. Still, 38% of the oncologists were

supportive and 45% had neutral feelings about patients

seeking outside information, with only 16% reporting

feeling " mildly irritated. " Overall, the survey found

that 63% of the patients and 86% of the doctors did

not feel seeking outside information negatively

impacted their professional relationship.

" I was gratified to find the relationship between

patients and doctor was not jeopardized, " Dr. Siu

said. " Both physicians and patients don't feel this

information gathering is impeding their relationship,

which is very important. "

Dr. Siu added: " Cancer is obviously a serious problem

that patients want to take initiative and learn more

about their own illnesses. Physicians are aware of

this phenomenon; we don't feel threatened by it. We

feel it helps some patients to cope better. "

However, there is not always time to answer extra

questions, she continued. " We know there's a need, and

sometimes we don't fill that need as much as we would

like. We need the cooperation of the media to make

sure the information presented to patients is balanced

and accurate. "

J Clin Oncol 2001;19:4291-4297.

http://www.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2001/12/12.13/20011212prof002.html

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