The role of the Internet in mediating relationships between patients and practitioners: Hype and reality

Internet doctor guilty of misconduct (Guardian, 2 July 2002) Advice is only a click or a call away (Daily Telegraph, 20 January 2003) Hypochondria is bad but cyberchondria is worse (Daily Telegraph, 9 December 2002) Patients are increasingly using the Internet to find out more about their health conditions. The Internet is often described as a transformative technology in relation to health care. On the one hand it is seen as having the potential to dramatically change relationships between practitioners and their patients for the better. On the other hand, concerns abound about patients diagnosing themselves on the basis of ‘wrong ’ information, and about the potential for Internet use seriously to erode patients ’ trust in medical authority. In both scenarios, the transformative potential of the Internet is recognised. However, in the first it is seen as a positive one, and in the second as negative. Looking beyond these polarised debates, use of the Internet can increase patients’ knowledge about their health conditions. However, not much is known about ho