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Information from the Internet and the doctor-patient relationship: The patient perspective - a qualitative study

Stevenson, FA; Kerr, C; Murray, E; Nazareth, I; (2007) Information from the Internet and the doctor-patient relationship: The patient perspective - a qualitative study. BMC Family Practice , 8 , Article 47. 10.1186/1471-2296-8-47. Green open access

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Abstract

Background: Both doctors and patients may perceive the Internet as a potential challenge to existing therapeutic relationships. Here we examine patients' views of the effect of the Internet on their relationship with doctors.Methods: We ran 8 disease specific focus groups of between 2 and 8 respondents comprising adult patients with diabetes mellitus, ischaemic heart disease or hepatitis C.Results: Data are presented on (i) the perceived benefits and (ii) limitations of the Internet in the context of the doctor-patient relationship, (iii) views on sharing information with doctors, and (iv) the potential of the Internet for the future. Information from the Internet was particularly valued in relation to experiential knowledge.Conclusion: Despite evidence of increasing patient activism in seeking information and the potential to challenge the position of the doctor, the accounts here do not in any way suggest a desire to disrupt the existing balance of power, or roles, in the consultation. Patients appear to see the Internet as an additional resource to support existing and valued relationships with their doctors. Doctors therefore need not feel challenged or threatened when patients bring health information from the Internet to a consultation, rather they should see it as an attempt on the part of the patient to work with the doctor and respond positively.

Type: Article
Title: Information from the Internet and the doctor-patient relationship: The patient perspective - a qualitative study
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2296-8-47
Publisher version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2296-8-47
Language: English
Additional information: © 2007 Stevenson et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Keywords: HEALTH INFORMATION, ONCOLOGY, IMPACT, MEDIA, PROFESSIONALS, TECHNOLOGY, EXPERIENCE, ATTITUDES, CANCER
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Primary Care and Population Health
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/175888
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