4.08-Aug 96 4. Dr. Tom Ferguson believes that online health support networks have begun to transform the way we heal. Not only does this cost more than we can afford, it doesn't lead to the best quality care. The patient, the family, and informal self-help communities are probably the most important resources in health care, but they get very little press.
Online networks bring the patient back into the loop.
A lot of people think the Internet is for games, sex chat, and email to the sales team. The Web already has more than 25,000 health-related sites. You can search medical literature, access journal articles and medical textbooks, and get a cookbook guide to essentials of diagnosing and treating just about any condition you want. There are hundreds of mailing lists and Usenet newsgroups dedicated to health topics. If you see yourself as a victim, you are probably going to search out a rescuer.