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If you’re not comfortable sharing a sensitive health question with your doctor, you’re not alone. Two out of three Americans go to the Web to get answers on private health topics such as sex, STDs, weight issues and substance abuse, according to researchers.
In a recent study performed by Pearl.com, a subscription portal website that connects users to doctors, lawyers and other professionals for advice, 63 percent of the 1,000 people surveyed said they’re more likely to find answers to private health-related questions online rather than in-person at their doctor’s office.
Interesting, though: the reasons users gave for going to the web rather than their doctors weren’t just that their questions were personal or embarrassing. Some said they weren’t going to their doctors because they were afraid those types of questions wouldn’t be covered by insurance (18%) or would incur an expensive co-pay (19%). Thirteen percent also thought that going to a doctor to get their question answered would lead to the discovery of a pre-existing condition.
Via rob halkes
This trend is well known: it says somthing about the expected and probably 'usable' routine of communication between doctors and patients. It is not just about empowerment of patients, but also about the learning speed of doctors and probably the system's change...