Online Groups Supplement, but Don't Replace, Doctors
Posted Nov 18 2008 12:13am
Online Groups Supplement, but Don't Replace, Doctors: " In one of the earliest studies of e-patients who were members of an online support community, developer Bill Kelly and I surveyed 191 active members of a family of online support communities, which have since become a part of WebMD. Most of our respondents were seriously ill patients dealing with conditions like breast cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, and hepatitis C. We asked them to tell us which of the following three resources-their specialist physicians, their primary care physicians, or their online support groups-they would rate most highly in of the following categories:
Best in-depth information on my condition
Best practical knowledge of my condition
Best technical knowledge of my condition
Best for helping me find other medical resources
Best in helping to diagnose my problem correctly
Best in helping and advising on management after diagnosis
Most compassion and empathy
Best in helping with emotional issues
Best in helping with issues of death and dying
Most convenient
Most cost-effective
Most likely to be there for me in the long run
Online groups ranked significantly higher than either generalists or specialists for convenience, cost-effectiveness, emotional support, compassion/empathy, help in dealing with death and dying, medical referrals, practical coping tips, in-depth information and "most likely to be there for me in the long run." By a narrow margin, online health communities were also rated as the best source of technical medical knowledge. Specialist physicians were rated highest for help in diagnosing a condition correctly and for help in managing a condition after diagnosis.
To say that these results surprised us would be an understatement. We were stunned, even dumbfounded. Clearly the value of these groups, as perceived by the patients, was substantially greater than most health professionals had realized. Yet it appeared that online groups had relatively little to offer in some areas (e.g., the process of diagnosis). Doctors' abilities to advise patients on an ongoing treatment plan were also highly valued, as were their technical knowledge and their capacity for support and empathy. In fact, it appeared that doctors were best at what the groups were worst at, and vice versa. We concluded that the combination of a good doctor and a good support group might offer e-patients the best of all possible worlds."
The trick is to know which resource to use for what ! Smart patients know that while most doctors are great at making a diagnosis, they are often not the best source of emotional support !
Online Groups Supplement, but Don't Replace, Doctors: " In one of the earliest studies of e-patients who were members of an online support community, developer Bill Kelly and I surveyed 191 active members of a family of online support communities, which have since become a part of WebMD. Most of our respondents were seriously ill patients dealing with conditions like breast cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, and hepatitis C. We asked them to tell us which of the following three resources-their specialist physicians, their primary care physicians, or their online support groups-they would rate most highly in of the following categories:
Best in-depth information on my condition
Best practical knowledge of my condition
Best technical knowledge of my condition
Best for helping me find other medical resources
Best in helping to diagnose my problem correctly
Best in helping and advising on management after diagnosis
Most compassion and empathy
Best in helping with emotional issues
Best in helping with issues of death and dying
Most convenient
Most cost-effective
Most likely to be there for me in the long run
Online groups ranked significantly higher than either generalists or specialists for convenience, cost-effectiveness, emotional support, compassion/empathy, help in dealing with death and dying, medical referrals, practical coping tips, in-depth information and "most likely to be there for me in the long run." By a narrow margin, online health communities were also rated as the best source of technical medical knowledge. Specialist physicians were rated highest for help in diagnosing a condition correctly and for help in managing a condition after diagnosis.
To say that these results surprised us would be an understatement. We were stunned, even dumbfounded. Clearly the value of these groups, as perceived by the patients, was substantially greater than most health professionals had realized. Yet it appeared that online groups had relatively little to offer in some areas (e.g., the process of diagnosis). Doctors' abilities to advise patients on an ongoing treatment plan were also highly valued, as were their technical knowledge and their capacity for support and empathy. In fact, it appeared that doctors were best at what the groups were worst at, and vice versa. We concluded that the combination of a good doctor and a good support group might offer e-patients the best of all possible worlds."
The trick is to know which resource to use for what ! Smart patients know that while most doctors are great at making a diagnosis, they are often not the best source of emotional support !