Unfortunately, many physicians perform poorly in this area, he said. How to meet expectations Physicians can do several things to address consumers' expectations, experts say. However, actual usage may be difficult to measure. A study by Cybercitizen Health found that only 4 percent of online users had access to a physician's web site, and only 3 percent said they had email access. Half of the internet users surveyed expressed a desire for electronic access to their physician, and nearly a third of those said they would switch doctors to get it, said the study, conducted for the internet marketing group Cyber Dialog.
Experts agree that consumers expect their physicians to be Internet-literate.
They can't assess a physician's clinical abilities, Dr. Plantes points out, but they can determine if a physician is well-informed. Consumers also are looking for providers who offer other electronic services, such as access to blood test results. Be a partner. Patients are highly motivated to understand their own medical conditions, and they may become even better informed about that slice of medicine than their own doctor, said Dr. Plantes. Patient advocate Goldenberg stressed that patients increasingly want doctors to include them in decisions involving their own health.