Are People Able to Use the Internet to Contribute Substantially to Their Health and Well-Being?

The internet empowers people to seek health information and play a larger role in their diagnosis and treatment. A survey done by harrisinteractive.com found that eighty six percent of internet users said they were scanning the web for healthcare and disease-specific information. This is greatly higher than in 1999, which was seventy one percent (Binshan Lin 28). The results show that patients are becoming more knowledgeable about their health and seek to become partners in their care.

The internet is revolutionizing healthcare as we know it. Consumers can now access health information, medical records and even speak to a physician online. Information previously reserved for healthcare professionals is now accessible to consumers. They are more satisfied with the internet than traditional media too. Forty nine percent are very satisfied with online health information versus twenty five percent with magazines/newspapers and thirteen percent for television (Bard 47).

The patient empowerment movement created by the internet underscores disorder specific websites and chat rooms. A century ago is was hard for patients with unusual conditions to find other people with similar problems. Now the internet makes it much easier. Patients can type their disorder into a search engine and quickly access many sites on their specific condition. They can also access chat rooms, receive electronic mail, and join a community where they can share opinions, discuss certain treatments and talk about their personal experiences (Oro). It provides emotional support and practical advice (Challenges). Some patients are even obtaining information to check the qualifications of their health care providers.

Additionally, the internet provides convenience to patients. It allows consumers to order prescriptions right from their own homes. Drugstore.com and PlanetRx are just a few places where consumers can purchase medicine. Online, prescriptions can be filled without seeing a physician or pharmacist and it is easy to find out when it was shipped. This is a great advantage for homebound patients and those taking long-term maintenance therapies as well. It is quicker, gives price advantages, and you don't even have to leave your house (Binshan Lin 30). The World Wide Web is creating a world of knowledge and simplicity.

There are many examples of how the internet contributes to peoples' well-being. More than 2.5 million people have cardiac devices implanted in their bodies that output data. Medtronic's implant devices, such as pacemakers transmit data to a secure file via VPN and then the information is accessible on the internet (Binshan Lin 29). It is "the first Internet-based service that connects patients and physicians for virtual office visits" regardless of geographic location (Oro). This makes diagnosis and treatment possible from anywhere as well as makes virtual surgery a possibility in the future (Binshan Lin 29).

One of the largest accomplishments that have emerged due to the internet is with AIDS patients. Dr. Gustafson has found that these patients spend 17% less time in clinical visits. In addition, the costs of their hospitalizations plunged 40%. The internet makes patients more informed and gives them the ability to know what they desire before stepping in the clinics door. This is achieved through instant messaging, chat rooms, discussion boards and other interactive sections online (Landro 13).

Great outcomes have resulted from patients researching online. Cody, a mother searching Medline to find information about her daughters' deleted chromosome, made a wonderful discovery in a 1985 article. She concluded that if her daughter was fed growth hormone her IQ may be higher due to more myelin, white matter that insulates nerves, production. Cody made an appointment with UT's Health Science Center and explained her theory that growth hormone improves myelination and hearing problems. "In two years, the San Antonio scientists had affirmed Cody's suspicions: growth hormone - in 18q- children, at least - does raise IQ, by as much as 47 points." When Cody first searched Medline she was not looking to come up with new treatment, just information (Solovitch). The Internet empowers people to gain knowledge that they wouldn't have otherwise. It is astonishing how one Medline search can lead to such groundbreaking results.

Online support groups are yet another helpful element of the internet. Several studies have shown that they make a difference. A Self-Help Network of Kansas study showed that chronic arthritis patients that were a part of a group could control pain more effectively. Another study showed that women with metastatic breast cancer stated milder mood swings and reduced pain. Surprisingly, they also had a survival rate of twice as long on average compared to control-group patients. Support groups have also been identified healthful in other ways too. They include: "cutting heart attack rates among men, easing anxiety and depression arising from traumatic experiences, and reducing demand for medical services and medication among people suffering chronic mental illness (Challenges)." Internet support groups seem to be a thing of the future.

Clinical trials turnout are improving due the internet and patient empowerment as well. Patients now want to be more involved in their care and this has been a crucial factor in breast cancer research. Dr. Martine Piccart said, "Patient power has been a positive force for good in improving clinical trial design, for example, as well as in encouraging