An advocate of online patient support groups, Ferguson believes these groups pick up where physicians leave off. The support groups are really good for people who just need a lot of hand-holding. Though the majority of physician Web sites do little more than outline basic information about their practice, some are venturing into more interactive features. As the cost of the new technology decreases and it becomes easier to use, physicians are likely to implement more of these time-saving features on their sites. Here are several that are already pioneering this technology.
Patients can also perform billing inquiries and request a reply by phone or e-mail.
Patients enter their name, address, illness, requested date and time, and their appointment is confirmed by a phone call from the clinic. In addition to Internet-based resources, health care technology has exploded in the area of computer software. Some programs, such as the Problem Knowledge Coupler, developed by Burlington, Vt-based PKC Corp., help patients work with their physicians to diagnose conditions. The software guides users through the stages of diagnosis and treatment by asking hundreds of medical questions and comparing the results to the disease profiles in its memory. Other software on the horizon could help diabetes patients manage their medications or help parents track their children's immunizations.