Patients who seek medical information on the Internet are proving a burden for physicians, according to panelists at an event sponsored by Social Media Charlotte, a networking organization, the Charlotte Observer reports.
Karen Albritton — president of Capstrat, a marketing and public relations firm — said patients often are self-diagnosing with incorrect information they find on the Internet (Frazier, Charlotte Observer, 9/21).
Jim Starman, a resident in orthopedic surgery at Carolinas Medical Center, said, “Often, we spend time basically discrediting inaccurate information [patients] read online before they got to the doctor’s office.”
Patients argue that seeking health information online is sensible in part because talking to a physician usually requires making an appointment or long wait times.
Panelists suggested that physicians could increase their Web presence on social networking sites and online discussion boards to provide accurate information (Frazier, Charlotte Observer, 9/22).
However, physicians who participate in online conversations are concerned about making themselves a bigger target for malpractice lawsuits or unintentionally breaking federal laws that require confidentiality in doctor-patient exchanges.
In addition, time spent by physicians on providing no-cost information online means money lost on regular appointments, according to Gayle Tuttle, director of strategic communications for BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina (Charlotte Observer, 9/21).
Tuttle added that progress made in telemedicine services eventually could make Web-based communications cost-effective for both physicians and patients (Charlotte Observer, 9/22).
Source: iHealthBeat
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