E-Patient

e-Patients (also known as Internet Patient, or Internet-savvy Patient) are health consumers who use the Internet to gather information about a medical condition of particular interest to them, and who use electronic communication tools (including Web 2.0 tools) in coping with medical conditions.[1] The term encompasses both those who seek online guidance for their own ailments and the friends and family members (e-Caregivers) who go online on their behalf. e-Patients report two effects of their online health research: "better health information and services, and different (but not always better) relationships with their doctors." [2]

As use of the term e-Patient has evolved, there has been less emphasis on Internet access and technology, and a contention[3] that the "e" in "e-patient" stands for "empowered, engaged, equipped, enabled."

e-Patients are increasingly active in their care and are demonstrating the power of the Participatory Medicine or Health 2.0 / Medicine 2.0.[4] model of care. They are equipped, enabled, empowered, engaged, equals, emancipated and experts.

Based on the current state of knowledge on the impact of e-patients on the healthcare system and the quality of care received:

The proportion of e-patients in selected patient populations seem to be highest in the US and Canada. European countries seem to lag.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Masters K, Ng'ambi D, Todd, G (2010). ""I Found it on the Internet:" Preparing for the e-patient in Oman". SQU Med J 10 (2): 169–179. doi:10.3923/jms.2010.169.175. http://web.squ.edu.om/squmj/includes/tng/pub/tNG_download.asp?id=e5ecd1c850167630052768711a777f70. 
  2. ^ Fox, Susannah; Fallows, Deborah. 2003. Health searches and email have become more commonplace, but there is room for improvement in searches and overall Internet access.
  3. ^ deBronkart, Dave, E-Patients: Empowered, Engaged, Equipped, Enabled. 2010 talk.
  4. ^ Eysenbach G Medicine 2.0: Social Networking, Collaboration, Participation, Apomediation, and Openness. J Med Internet Res 2008;10(3):e22
  5. ^ Finding Answers Online in Sickness and in Health, 5/2/2006, Pew Internet.
  6. ^ Eysenbach G (2003). "The impact of the Internet on cancer outcomes". CA Cancer J Clin 53 (6): 356–71. doi:10.3322/canjclin.53.6.356. PMID 15224975. http://caonline.amcancersoc.org/cgi/content/full/53/6/356. 
  7. ^ Jacobson P (2007). "Empowering the physician-patient relationship: The effect of the Internet". Partnership: the Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research 2 (1). ISSN 1911-9593. http://journal.lib.uoguelph.ca/index.php/perj/article/view/244/374. 
  8. ^ Ahmad F, Hudak PL, Bercovitz K, Hollenberg E, Levinson W (2006). "Are Physicians Ready for Patients With Internet-Based Health Information?". J. Med. Internet Res. 8 (3): e22. doi:10.2196/jmir.8.3.e22. PMC 2018833. PMID 17032638. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=2018833. 
  9. ^ Crocco AG, Villasis-Keever M, Jadad AR (June 2002). "Analysis of cases of harm associated with use of health information on the internet". JAMA 287 (21): 2869–71. doi:10.1001/jama.287.21.2869. PMID 12038937. http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/287/21/2869. 

External links