E-patient
An e-patient is a
health consumer who participates fully in their own medical care, primarily by gathering information about medical conditions that impact them and their families, using the Internet and other digital tools.[1] The term encompasses those who seek guidance for their own ailments, and the friends and family members who research on their behalf. E-patients report two effects of their health research: "better health information and services, and different, but not always better, relationships with their doctors."[2]
E-patients are active in their care and demonstrate the power of the
participatory medicine or Health 2.0 / Medicine 2.0.[3] model of care. The "e" can stand for "electronic" but has also been used to refer to other terms, such as "equipped", "enabled", "empowered" and "expert".[4][5]
The current state of knowledge on the impact of e-patients on the
healthcare system
and the quality of care received indicates:
- A growing number of people say the internet played a crucial or important role as they helped another person cope with a major illness.[6][7]
- Many clinicians underestimated the benefits and overestimated the risks of online health resources for patients.[8][9][10]
- Medical online support groups are an important healthcare resource.[11]
- "The net friendliness of clinicians and provider organizations—as rated by the e-patients they serve—is becoming an important new aspect of health care quality."[12]
- According to one study, the advent of patients as partners is one of the most important cultural medical revolutions of the past century.[12]
- In order to understand the impact of the e-patient, clinicians will likely need to move beyond "pre-internet medical constructs".[12]
- Medical education must adapt to take the e-patient into account, and to prepare students for medical practice that includes the e-patient.[1]
A 2011 study of European e-patients found that they tended to be "inquisitive and autonomous" and that they noted that the number of e-patients in Europe appeared to be rising.tweets when compared to both physicians and researchers while only making up 1.4% of the stakeholder mix.[15]
Non-English translations and adaptations of "e-patient"
Japan
According to Maho Isono, PhD, at the
disabled persons themselves or patients themselves."[16]
Sweden
Inspired by the seminal work on e-patients by Tom Ferguson and the e-Patients Scholars Working Group,[17] Swedish patient and engineer Sara Riggare coined a new Swedish word, "spetspatient", meaning "lead user patient" or "lead patient", in February 2016.
See also
- Doctor–patient relationship
- eHealth
- mHealth
- Patient opinion leader
- Treatment decision support
- Virtual patient
References
- ^ PMID 21509226.
- ^ "Fox, Susannah; Fallows, Deborah. 2003. Health searches and email have become more commonplace, but there is room for improvement in searches and overall Internet access" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-03-25. Retrieved 2011-07-05.
- ^ Eysenbach G Medicine 2.0: Social Networking, Collaboration, Participation, Apomediation, and Openness. J Med Internet Res 2008;10(3):e22
- ^ Kevin Kruse. "What do you mean, 'e-patient'?". Blog.kruresearch.com. Archived from the original on 2013-08-25. Retrieved 2013-09-13.
- PMID 23137788.
- ^ Finding Answers Online in Sickness and in Health, 5/2/2006, Pew Internet Archived 2008-03-06 at the Wayback Machine.
- S2CID 10192148.
- ISSN 1911-9593.
- PMID 17032638.
- PMID 12038937.
- PMID 18382715.
- ^ PMID 15142894.
- PMID 21496309.
- PMID 25075229.
- PMID 28818821.
- PMID 32933961.
- ^ Ferguson, Tom. "e-patients: How they can help us heal health care" (PDF).
External links
- van Woerkum CM (1 April 2003). "The Internet and primary care physicians: coping with different expectations". The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 77 (4 Suppl): 1016S–1018S. PMID 12663310.
- Susannah Fox; Pew Internet; American Life Project (2004-09-27). "Today's E-Patients: Hunters and Gatherers of Health Information Online". Archived from the original on 2007-05-13. Retrieved 2007-04-23.
- Ferguson, Tom (2007). e-Patients: How They Can Help Us Heal Health Care (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-07-23. Retrieved 2013-10-07.
- Rimer BK, Lyons EJ, Ribisl KM, et al. (July 2005). "How New Subscribers Use Cancer-Related Online Mailing Lists". Journal of Medical Internet Research. 7 (3): e32. PMID 15998623.
- Meier A, Lyons EJ, Frydman G, Forlenza M, Rimer BK (2007). "How Cancer Survivors Provide Support on Cancer-Related Internet Mailing Lists". Journal of Medical Internet Research. 9 (2): e12. PMID 17513283.
- The rise of the e-patient Archived 2009-11-30 at the Wayback Machine, Lee Rainie from the Pew Internet and American Life Project presentation at the Medical Library Association, October 7, 2009
- E-patients With a Disability or Chronic Disease, from the Pew Internet and American Life Project
- Association of Cancer Online Resources (ACOR) Archived 2008-05-01 at the Wayback Machine, an aggregate of e-patient online communities for knowledge-sharing about cancer.
- Haig, Scott (November 8, 2007). "When the patient is a Googler". Time.
- Who Cares Booklet by the Federal Trade Commission, a guide to health information
- Dave deBronkart: Meet e-Patient Dave, video at TED
- Greenwald, Ted. "A Social Network for Crohn's Disease | MIT Technology Review". Technologyreview.com. Retrieved 2013-09-13.
- Bhargava, Rohit; Johnmar, Fard (2013). ePatient 2015: 15 Surprising Trends Changing Healthcare.