AB0602 Influence of internet on relationships between patients and rheumatologists: specific focus on hip and knee osteoarthritis management (survey study)
Authors: R.-L. Dreiser, P. Schwartz
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2013)

<h3>Background</h3> The occurence of Internet in the field of health profoundly modified medical knowledge of the patients and relationships between practitioners and patients. <h3>Objectives</h3> To characterize the change in patients and rheumatologists' behavior due to the increasing influence of Internet and its impact on relationships between practitioners and patients. <h3>Methods</h3> Epidemiological survey performed during Eular congress in June, 2012. <h3>Results</h3> · 624 rheumatologists from 67 countries (Europeans 59%, French 20.9%), with a mean age of 48 years, practicing at hospital or private clinics (62%) in cities of more than 100,000 inhabitants (66%). · Rheumatologists know websites dedicated to osteoarthritis (83%) and consult them regularly (70%). · Profile of patients looking for health information on Internet: mean age 59 years, high social and education levels (no influence of their global health or severity of their osteoarthritis). · According to practioners, the impact of Internet on the relationships between patient and practioneris important: 63.37 mm (VAS, 0-100). · 52% of the rheumatologists know patients' social networks from which 76% verify their contents and 80% show them to the patients. · Concerning rheumatic diseases, the impact of Internet is positive as estimated at 64 mm (VAS, 0-100). · Patients' networks have a favorable impact on osteoarthritis management (64 mm on VAS 0-100) and most of rheumatologists consider more important the positive effect of Internet on compliance to treatment. · For 29% of practitioners, around 10% of patients with knee or hip OA consult one health website and 81% of them are spontaneously informed about it by patients themselves while 68% have to ask about it and 56% show websites to their patients. · Concerned websites are those with patients' testimonies (86%), discussion groups (79%) or are national websites [P1] (71%). · On Internet, patients are looking for information and advices (95%) concerning pharmacological (93%) and non pharmacological (90%) OA treatments, but also concerning OA disease (85%) and its change (89%) as well as alternate treatments (89%). · More than 68% of the practitioners declare that Internet modified their therapeutic attitude by offering a better knowledge on the pharmacological treatments (&gt; 90%), but also a better knowledge of the other therapeutic strategies (physiotherapy 91%, food complements 89%, acupuncture 76%). <h3>Conclusions</h3> · 80% of the rheumatologists think that knee and hip OA Internet contents are reliable and allow them to improve their disease management (79%) because of a better sharing of knowledge with the patients (94%) and of an improvement of compliance (92%). · Rheumatologists are unanimous (96%) to consider that the learned societies (EULAR, OARSI, SFR) should develop their website dedicated to osteoarthritis. <h3>References</h3> Kam A, Cros S. « Patient 2.0 »: new online services made by healthcare professionnals. J. Pharm. Clin.2011;30:197-200. Silber S. Medecine 2.0 : les enjeux de la médecine participative. Presse Med., 2009;38: 1456-1462. Cameron Hay M et al. Prepared patients: internet information seeking by new rheumatology patients. Arthritis. Rheum.2008; 59: 575-582. <h3>Acknowledgements</h3> This survey was sponsored by Laboratoires Expanscience (Courbevoie, France). <h3>Disclosure of Interest</h3> R.-L. Dreiser Grant/research support from: Laboratoires Expanscience, P. Schwartz: None Declared