Study: How Web Changes Patient-Doctor Relationship

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Immediately following a doctor's diagnosis, nearly half of consumers report using a search engine to further research their alleged conditions, according to a new study conducted by About.com.

What is driving this behavior? Disconcertingly, only 35% of consumers say they completely trust their doctor's diagnoses, the June study of nearly 1,900 About.com users found.

For better or worse, "the patient-doctor visits are no longer just one way conversations but rather on-going dialogues," the study concludes. "People are going online to educate themselves and confirm doctors' diagnosis."

What does this mean for marketers without a specialization in search? According to the study, respondents said they were interested in ads that make them aware and educate them about different treatment options and symptoms, as well as those that make it easier to speak knowledgeably with doctors and other professionals.

What's more, 57% of participants said an ad with information about certain conditions -- including specific signs and symptoms -- and medication side effects and safety would grab their attention. As a result of seeing a health care ad, over 35% of respondents talked to their doctor and researched the advertised drug in more detail online.

"Visitors are looking for health ads that help educate them about the condition and treatment options," according to the study.

Furthermore, about six months after their doctor's diagnosis with an ongoing condition, over 40% of participants reported searching online for coping/management tips with regard to financial, emotional, and physical matters.

The study canvassed About.com users who visited the site's parenting, health and food channels with a pop-up invitation to participate in a survey. The majority -- 64% -- were female, while 36% were male. The majority were between the ages of 35 and 54 -- 36% -- while 29% were 55 or older, 19% were 18-24, and 16% were between the ages of 25 and 34.

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0 comments on "Study: How Web Changes Patient-Doctor Relationship".

1. Norman Latov from HouseDoc LLC
   

   commented on: August 26, 2009 at 9:45 a.m.

   Kevin O'Halley points out that healthcare today is more a matter of an ongling dialogue between doctors and patients, rather than an occasional office visit. That, however, requires better lines of communications than the traditional phone call to the office. There is an increasing need for services such as www.housedoc.us that provide for HIPAA compliant online communications between patients and their doctors.

2. Raymond Zakhari from Metro Medical Direct
   

   commented on: August 26, 2009 at 10:59 a.m.

   In an effort to build trust with patients and take the hassles out of going to the doctor I founded Metro Medical Direct. It is the first web-based primary care medical house calls practice in NYC. On the site I also have an interactive patient education library and some resources that my patients can use, because I have been keenly aware that my patients google their symptoms before they come in.
   I have also known patients to google symptoms from TV and to try and get a particular kind of medication.

   In an effort to be a better health care provider I generally google my patients symptoms and content from medical shows to be able to combat the misinformation and media hype that could lead to a wrong diagnosis.

   In an effort to remain accessible to my patients I allow direct calling, texting, emailing, secure messaging, and web-cam. I do remind them that given all this technology there may be a way to have your information hacked. So in those non secured mediums of communication I remind them not to include an personal identifying numbers or other HIPAA related items.

3. Paula Lynn from Who Else Unlimited
   

   commented on: August 26, 2009 at 1:49 p.m.

   Now if everyone would just check their invoice to make sure billing is correct from doctors and hospitals as well as informing their doctors to share test results. Bet that 80% of us do not which costs us more time and uber funds and not better care. Just recently, when I questioned an employee in a doctor's (she is the best) I had a prescription for 40 very strong pain pills when 2 would do, she said that 40 was the maximum the insurance company would cover. Wrong on so many counts. Note: The phamacy caught the error and I chose the suggested lesser amount. As I have heard, each pill can bring in about $25 each on certain corners. And the web can also make us hyperchondriacs.

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