It's a new idea of how things should go in the typical medical model. According to the Internet research firm Cyber Dialogue, the most common medical search is for information about a specific disease, with depression, allergies or sinus problems, cancer, bipolar disorder, arthritis and high blood pressure the most common, according to a recent Harris Poll. Next, people seek diet and nutrition advice, followed by information about pharmaceutical drugs and women's health. For many patients, the results are empowering. On The Health Network, the Fox site relaunching next week with a matching cable channel, there's video of live operations, complete with color commentary.
Some sites allow patients to type in symptoms and get back a probable diagnosis.
But for many doctors, the on-line explosion can be frustrating. I'm touching people. I'm checking bone density. I'm checking mammograms. I'm not browsing the Internet.