Internet, intruder or mediator in medical relations? ; Internet, intrus ou médiateur dans la relations médecine-patient?

Abstract

the importance of internet consultation on health has given rise to comments and concerns in the medical world. Some consider that the proliferation of non-hierarchical, unvalidated information is a source of confusion, which could damage the patient's confidence in his/her doctor. The available literature tends to shift questions: there is no consensual method of measuring the quality of information and, above all, the importance of this issue is put in perspective: the collective nature of both the content produced and the internet consultation and the judgement shown by individuals guarantee against the possible effects of a lack of quality. Patients seem to seek stronger cooperation with doctors rather than conflict, and professionals adjust to this more informed patient, thus more responsive to arguments and more responsible for their behaviour. The internet could be seen as a facilitator of the relationship. This should be qualified in the case of rare or poorly known health problems, or where medication is controversial. The Internet makes it possible to build up a form of lay expertise that competes with or conflicts with the expertise of doctors, whether at individual level or even more clearly in health bodies open today to representatives of users, as part of a strengthened health democracy. ; International audience The increasingly popular practice of consulting the Internet on health issues has led to much commentary and concern in medical circles. Some observers believe that the proliferation of unstructured and non-validated information is a source of confusion which is likely to erode patients' confidence in their physicians. The literature on the subject tends to shift the emphasis of the question, pointing out that there is no agreed-upon method for measuring the quality of the information available. Moreover, and notably, it puts the significance of the issue in perspective, pointing out that the collective nature of the content produced online and of the consultations made, as well as the ...