They are something new. Most Type 1 health professionals provide their services for free. When I've asked these online good Samaritans why they answer anonymous patients' online questions, they often tell me that while they first got started because they wanted to be of help, they've continued because their interactions with Type 1 patients has proved to be such a valuable learning experience. Type 1 docs who've developed especially effective online offerings are sometimes shocked by the numbers of visitors they receive. The infrastructure of most medical practices puts the Type 2 doctor at the center of the medical information loop.
Most clinical interactions take place on the doctor's turf and at the doctor's convenience.
Doctors order all medical tests, receive all test results, and write all prescriptions, and most docs have access to a wide variety of additional medical resources that are not available to their patients. They effectively own and control their patients' medical records. And because it is so by not so easy to get a second opinion, and harder still to change doctors, they often effectively 'own' and control their patients as well. Some Type 2 docs consider it their prerogative to make most of the important medical decisions for their patients, and to decide what, if any, patient education materials each patient needs to receive. Thus it's easy to sympathize with Type 2 docs who say they're not sure how to respond when their patients come to the clinic bringing information they've found on the Internet.