REVIEW PAPER
The impact of widespread Internet use on the healthcare professional-patient relationship – a scooping review
1
Student Scientific Club of Medical Communication, Study of Practical Foreign Languages, Faculty of Medicine, Medical
niversity, Lublin, Poland
2
Student Scientific Club of Medical Communication, Study of Practical Foreign Languages, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University, Lublin, Poland
Corresponding author
Michał Stanisław Świta
Student Scientific Club of Medical Communication, Study of Practical Foreign Languages, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University, Jaczewskiego 4, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
Student Scientific Club of Medical Communication, Study of Practical Foreign Languages, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University, Jaczewskiego 4, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
Med Og Nauk Zdr. 2024;30(3):197-202
KEYWORDS
e-healthonline health informationhealth misinformationhealthcare professional – patient relationshipinternetinformed patients
TOPICS
Zdrowie publicznePsychologia i socjologia zdrowiaTechnologie medyczne i telemedycynaPromocja zdrowia i edukacja zdrowotna
ABSTRACT
Introduction and objective:
A steadily increasing number of individuals begin to seek a diagnosis online before consulting healthcare professionals (HCPs). This trend has transformed patients (Pts) into more informed participants in their own healthcare path. However, alongside greater patient engagement, new challenges have emerged, particularly in the form of misinformation prevalent across online platforms. Such online misguidance not only jeopardizes Pts’ health but also strains the Pt – HCP relationship. The purpose of the work was to highlight changes that have taken place over the past few years in communication with Pts due to the increased availability of the Internet.
Review methods:
The review is based on a search conducted in online scientific databases, including Pubmed, Google Scholar, Elsevier, and Scopus, with a restriction to publication years 2016–2024. Inclusion criteria encompassed research articles focusing on the Pt-HCP relationship in the Internet era.
Brief description of the state of knowledge:
Taking into account the fact that about 93.3% of Polish households have Internet access, the long-term impact of increasingly widespread telemedicine seems important to consider. Research on the spread of misinformation is lacking. It would also be necessary to define guidelines for healthcare entities involved in online activities to ensure that their activities have a positive effect
Summary:
It is important to take care of the Pt-Internet- HCP balance. Helping patients select high-quality resources from reputable sources is within the responsibility of HCPs. However, Pts should keep in mind that their HCP is the one who needs their greatest trust.
A steadily increasing number of individuals begin to seek a diagnosis online before consulting healthcare professionals (HCPs). This trend has transformed patients (Pts) into more informed participants in their own healthcare path. However, alongside greater patient engagement, new challenges have emerged, particularly in the form of misinformation prevalent across online platforms. Such online misguidance not only jeopardizes Pts’ health but also strains the Pt – HCP relationship. The purpose of the work was to highlight changes that have taken place over the past few years in communication with Pts due to the increased availability of the Internet.
Review methods:
The review is based on a search conducted in online scientific databases, including Pubmed, Google Scholar, Elsevier, and Scopus, with a restriction to publication years 2016–2024. Inclusion criteria encompassed research articles focusing on the Pt-HCP relationship in the Internet era.
Brief description of the state of knowledge:
Taking into account the fact that about 93.3% of Polish households have Internet access, the long-term impact of increasingly widespread telemedicine seems important to consider. Research on the spread of misinformation is lacking. It would also be necessary to define guidelines for healthcare entities involved in online activities to ensure that their activities have a positive effect
Summary:
It is important to take care of the Pt-Internet- HCP balance. Helping patients select high-quality resources from reputable sources is within the responsibility of HCPs. However, Pts should keep in mind that their HCP is the one who needs their greatest trust.
REFERENCES (37)
1.
Statistics Poland. Information society in Poland 2023. https://stat.gov.pl/en/topics/... (access: 2024.09.02).
2.
Langford AT, Roberts T, Gupta J, Orellana KT, Loeb S. Impact of the Internet on Patient-Physician Communication. Eur Urol Focus. 2020;6(3):440–444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euf.....
3.
Ting DSW, Carin L, Dzau V, Wong TY. Digital technology and COVID-19. Nat Med. 2020;26(4):459–461. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591....
4.
Chang JE, Lai AY, Gupta A, Nguyen AM, Berry CA, Shelley DR. Rapid Transition to Telehealth and the Digital Divide: Implications for Primary Care Access and Equity in a Post-COVID Era. Milbank Q. 2021;99(2):340–368. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0....
5.
Harbishettar V, Krishna KR, Srinivasa P, Gowda M. The enigma of doctor-patient relationship. Indian J Psychiatry. 2019;61(Suppl 4):S776–S781. https://doi.org/10.4103/psychi....
6.
Morelli E, Mulas O, Caocci G. Patient-Physician Communication in Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndrome. Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. 2021;17(1):264–270. https://doi.org/10.2174/174501....
7.
Freckelton IR. Internet Disruptions in the Doctor-Patient Relationship. Med Law Rev. 2020;28(3):502–525. https://doi.org/10.1093/medlaw....
8.
Brennan N, Langdon N, Keates N, Mattick K, Gale T. Graduates’ preparedness for the changing doctor-patient relationship: A qualitative study. Med Educ. 2023;57(8):712–722. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.1....
9.
Setlhare V, Madiba S. Doctor Attributes That Patients Desire during Consultation: The Perspectives of Doctors and Patients in Primary Health Care in Botswana. Healthcare (Basel). 2023;11(6). https://doi.org/10.3390/health....
10.
Cocco AM, Zordan R, Taylor DM, et al. Dr Google in the ED: searching for online health information by adult emergency department patients. Med J Aust. 2018;209(8):342–347. https://doi.org/10.5694/mja17.....
11.
Wu B. Patient Continued Use of Online Health Care Communities: Web Mining of Patient-Doctor Communication. J Med Internet Res. 2018;20(4):e126. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.9....
12.
Kyriacou A, Sherratt C. Online health information-seeking behavior by endocrinology patients. Hormones (Athens). 2019;18(4):495–505. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42000....
13.
Holmes MM. Why People Living With and Beyond Cancer Use the Internet. Integr Cancer Ther. 2019;18:1534735419829830. https://doi.org/10.1177/153473....
14.
Nicholl H, Tracey C, Begley T, King C, Lynch AM. Internet Use by Parents of Children With Rare Conditions: Findings From a Study on Parents’ Web Information Needs. J Med Internet Res. 2017;19(2):e51. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.5....
15.
Holzman SA, Davis-Dao CA, Khoury AE, Fortier MA, N Kain Z. Telemedicine and patient satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic: A case-control study of outpatient pediatric urology patients. J Child Health Care. 2023;27(3):351–359. https://doi.org/10.1177/136749....
16.
LeBlanc M, Petrie S, Paskaran S, Carson DB, Peters PA. Patient and provider perspectives on eHealth interventions in Canada and Australia: a scoping review. Rural Remote Health. 2020;20(3):5754. https://doi.org/10.22605/RRH57....
17.
Angley E, Welch J, Hewitt J. Telemedicine Examination: Important Boundaries. J Paediatr Child Health. 2022;58(10):1910. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpc.16....
18.
Weinstein RS, Krupinski EA, Doarn CR. Clinical Examination Component of Telemedicine, Telehealth, mHealth, and Connected Health Medical Practices. Med Clin North Am. 2018;102(3):533–544. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mcna....
19.
Vosoughi S, Roy D, Aral S. The spread of true and false news online. Science. 2018;359(6380):1146–1151. https://doi.org/10.1126/scienc....
20.
Ghebreyesus TA, WHO Director-General. Urgent health challenges for the next decade. https://www.who.int/news-room/....
21.
Larson HJ. Blocking information on COVID-19 can fuel the spread of misinformation. Nature. 2020;580(7803):306. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586....
22.
Swire-Thompson B, Lazer D. Public Health and Online Misinformation: Challenges and Recommendations. Annu Rev Public Health. 2020;41:433–451. https://doi.org/10.1146/annure....
23.
Warchoł M, Furtak Niczyporuk M, Gierszon P, Stypuła M. The Internet as a source of information on health and disease. Journal of Education, Health and Sport. 2018;8(9):1251–1259. eISNN 2391–8306. http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zeno....
24.
Ren D, Ma B. Effectiveness of Interactive Tools in Online Health Care Communities: Social Exchange Theory Perspective. J Med Internet Res. 2021;23(3):e21892. https://doi.org/10.2196/21892.
25.
Asan O, Yu Z, Crotty BH. How clinician-patient communication affects trust in health information sources: Temporal trends from a national cross-sectional survey. PLoS One. 2021;16(2):e0247583. https://doi.org/10.1371/journa....
26.
Bumb M, Keefe J, Miller L, Overcash J. Breaking Bad News: An Evidence-Based Review of Communication Models for Oncology Oncol Nurs. 2017; 21(5): 573–580. https://doi.org/10.1188/17.CJO....
27.
Forgie EME, Lai H, Cao B, Stroulia E, Greenshaw AJ, Goez H. Social Media and the Transformation of the Physician-Patient Relationship: Viewpoint. J Med Internet Res. 2021;23(12):e25230. https://doi.org/10.2196/25230.
28.
Kanchan S, Gaidhane A. Social Media Role and Its Impact on Public Health: A Narrative Review. Cureus. 2023;15(1):e33737. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus....
29.
Harbishettar V, Krishna KR, Srinivasa P, Gowda M. The enigma of doctor-patient relationship. Indian journal of psychiatry. 2019;61(Suppl 4):S776–S781. https://doi.org/10.4103/psychi....
30.
Forsey J, Ng S, Rowland P, Freeman R, Li C, Woods NN. The Basic Science of Patient-Physician Communication: A Critical Scoping Review. Acad Med. 2021;96(11S):S109–S118. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.00....
31.
Meng L, Yu X, Han C, Liu P. Does Internet Use Aggravate Public Distrust of Doctors? Evidence from China. Sustainability. 2022;14(7):3959. https://doi.org/10.3390/su1407....
32.
Goldstein RF, Boyle JA, Lo C, Teede HJ, Harrison CL. Facilitators and barriers to behaviour change within a lifestyle program for women with obesity to prevent excess gestational weight gain: a mixed methods evaluation. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2021;21(1):569. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884....
33.
Harvey S, Memon A, Khan R, Yasin F. Parent’s use of the Internet in the search for healthcare information and subsequent impact on the doctor-patient relationship. Ir J Med Sci. 2017;186(4):821–826. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845....
34.
George GC, Iwuanyanwu EC, Buford AS, et al. Cancer-Related Internet Use and Its Association With Patient Decision Making and Trust in Physicians Among Patients in an Early Drug Development Clinic: A Questionnaire-Based Cross-Sectional Observational Study. J Med Internet Res. 2019;21(3):e10348. https://doi.org/10.2196/10348.
35.
Chang K, Berthelet E, Grubbs E, et al. Websites, Websites Everywhere: How Thyroid Cancer Patients Use the Internet. J Cancer Educ. 2020;35(6):1177–1183. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187....
36.
Drug VL, Chirila I, Albusoda A, et al. How the Internet influences the relationship between outpatients and gastroenterologists: A multicenter study. Turk J Gastroenterol. 2020;31(1):17–22. https://doi.org/10.5152/tjg.20....
37.
Ślusarska B, Chrzan-Rodak A, Jędrzejewska AB, Bieniak-Czerepak M, Mazurek W, Waśkowicz A, Nowicki GJ. Nursing students’experience with the „DiagNurse” mobile app to suport clinical patient assessment – a pilot study. PielXXIw-2024-0014. https://doi.org/10.2478/pielxx....
Share
RELATED ARTICLE
| eISSN: | 2084-4905 |
| ISSN: | 2083-4543 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
