HEALTH WEBSITES YOU BOTH CAN TRUST

KAREN VARGAS, MLISAAPA 36TH ANNUAL PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT CONFERENCE

SAN ANTONIO, TEXASMAY 27, 2008

When Your Patient is a Googler

Google Search Results

Online Health Seeking Trends

80% of American Internet users have searched for health information on the Internet 86% of people with chronic health conditions

53% of health seekers say that what they found on the internet had some kind of impact on how they take care of themselves or care for someone else and: affected a decision about how to treat an illness or

condition led them to ask a doctor new questions affected a decision about whether to see a doctor

Pew Internet and American Life Project , “Online Health Search 2006” (www.pewinternet.org)

Online Health Seeking Trends

BUT….

66% of health searchers start at a search engineOnly 25% check the source and date of online

health information “always” or “most of the time”This means that 75% (85 million Americans)

check the source and date “only sometimes,” “hardly ever,” or “never”

Pew Internet and American Life Project , “Online Health Search 2006” (www.pewinternet.org)

Doctor-Googler Relationship

A survey of U.S. physicians showed that physicians welcomed patients who brought accurate, relevant online information to their appointment, and felt that it was beneficial to their health outcomes.

Conversely, the physicians felt that when patients brought in inaccurate information, it harmed the quality of care and the physician-patient relationship.

Journal of Medical Internet Research; 2003 5(3): e17. “The Impact of Health Information on the Internet on Health Care and the Physician-Patient Relationship: National U.S. Survey among 1,050 U.S. Physicians.” E Murray, B Lo, L

Pollack, et al.

Doctor-Googler Relationship

It was demonstrated that many physicians comply with a patient’s request to do an inappropriate clinical intervention based on inaccurate online information in order to avoid jeopardizing patient satisfaction and the physician-patient relationship.

Journal of Medical Internet Research; 2003 5(3): e17. “The Impact of Health Information on the Internet on Health Care and the Physician-Patient Relationship: National U.S. Survey among 1,050 U.S. Physicians.” E Murray, B

Lo, L Pollack, et al.

Wouldn’t it be great if my patients could find all the

best health websites in one place?

National Library of Medicine

Medlineplus.gov

Websites are:•Researched•Selected by a team of professionals•Organized by topic•Reviewed regularly

Multiple Languages

http://informationrx.org/

KAREN VARGAS, MLISNATIONAL NETWORK OF LIBRARIES OF MEDICINE

1-800-338-7657KAREN.VARGAS@EXCH.LIBRARY.TMC.EDU

Developed by NN/LM SCR staff.  This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. N01-LM-6-3505 with the Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library.

Thank You!