A Survey of MGH Epilepsy Service Patients Paper survey forms were distributed over 10 weeks to patients at the time of an Epilepsy clinic visit and collected before they departed. The survey asked patients if they have Internet access, the site of their access, and if they were interested in using the Internet to communicate with their healthcare provider. Eighty percent of those with access were interested in using the Internet to communicate with their healthcare provider. Eight percent of all the patients surveyed have no access at home or work but were interested in using the Internet to communicate with their healthcare provider. Six percent of all patients who had Internet access were of an ethnic minority.
Patients have access to Web-based educational material edited by their health care providers.
A provider can direct patients to educational material and resources found at a well organized, central location. Provider and patient can communicate using an asynchronous method that decreases telephone calls and interruptions. Documentation of interactions is part of the process of using the resource and can be transferred to the permanent record. Development of Guidelines for Users Developed to establish standards for the use of PatientWeb. The guidelines address security precautions and concerns with privacy issues.