Patient Empowerment and Health online Community: two ways to give the new viability doctor-patient relationship

The purpose of this study is to analyze patient empowerment and point out how it affects new approach to physician-patient management. It is also examined the role of empowered patients and Health Communities in giving new viability to healthcare organizations. The paper is based on a literature review of empowerment and in particular of patient empowerment. The emerging results are enforced by the discussion of RareConnect.org explanatory case study.The study investigates new patient decision-making ability, which involves a radical shift in healthcare management and communication. It also contributes to the definition of a “viable” approach to organization-patient relationship management, based on cooperation and new resources acquiring. The paper represents a first attempt to examine physician patient relationship according to the model of viability cycle