Doctoring Has Changed

[OhHelpMe]

From an interview with a doctor,

What is the most memorable research published since you became a physician and why?

Rather than cite a specific paper, I'm going to say the emergence of the Internet and social media. The Internet has put patients and physicians on an even playing field, with patients having as much access to information as their doctors do. This has changed the role of physicians. Rather than acting as a gatekeeper of health information, they need to be curators of that information instead, and filter out all the misinformation patients may be reading online. Patients are not only researching their health, but their doctors as well. Powerful social media tools allow physicians to educate patients and define their online presence. An online reputation will soon be as important, if not more, than a reputation in the community.

[Julie]

It's important for doctors to help patients sort through all the information and target what counts in their own case. It is so easy to find lists and lists of symptoms and conditions to match yourself to, but the doctor has all your family and medical history, lab work, educated observation of you that you cannot really be objective about, and also knows what resources are available in your area. Doctors may seem ignorant in some areas, as we all are, and you can't expect a specialist in one field to be an expert in others, so a little understanding on our parts can also go a long way.

Certainly it's great that we have more access to info now, but simply thinking we can solve it all on our own may be cutting off our noses to spite our faces, so find health profs that you can talk to about things without they're getting too upset over that, but also give them the benefit of years of education and experience - it's for your own good.

[HerbM]

"An online reputation will soon be as important, if not more, than a reputation in the community."

In a city, rather than a small town, where most people don't know ANYONE outside their immediate family who visits a particular doctor, the online reputation is already FAR MORE IMPORTANT.

Living and working in a city, most people scatter far and wide to the suburbs or different neighborhoods once the work day is through.

Even asking a friend at work for a recommendation is usually not that productive since odds are the friend lives in a different part of town and his or her docs are convenient to you.

[lastlib]

This Sunday's New York Times had an article from a Doctor defending a Doctor acting as a parent and withholding information from patients based only on the Doctor's judgment. When will they ever learn.