Long gone are the days when doctors and patients could set aside time for effective communication. More often than not these days, we speak to the receptionist, the nurse, and the physician’s assistant. Insurance rules and regulations, mountains of paperwork, and time constraints have cut into doctor-patient time.

In an effort to educate ourselves, patients have turned to the internet. We look to sites like Web MD, The Health Central Network, WrongDiagnosis.com, (now part of HealthGrades.com), and RateMDs.com to answer our questions and reach out to other patients who may be able to advise us. Offering a world of information at our fingertips, these sites provide valuable facts about health matters and prescription medications. 

The best of these sites provide a very valuable service, one which we have come to depend upon in our current state of health care. They can effectively fill the gap between us and our doctors, and connect us with other patients and patient advocates. But there are pitfalls. When searching for information online there are some important things to keep in mind.

* Consider the source. Look at the address in your web browser. Is this a reputable person or institution? 

* Understand the difference between physician-provided information and patient-provided information. Other patients can give you a point of view that your doctor probably can’t. They can be the life raft in a storm but, unless they themselves are doctors, they can’t give proper medical advice.

* Even the most highly-respected doctor cannot diagnose or offer treatment suggestions online without having observed you and looked at your medical history. Use the web to create a list of questions to ask your personal physician. 

There’s another pitfall if you’re a doctor. Unfavorable reviews and comments left online can wreak havoc with your reputation and your career. According to AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner, a growing number of doctors are asking patients to sign what amounts to a gag order, barring them from posting negative comments online. She also reports that doctors are being advised to suggest another doctor if a patient refuses to sign.

The internet gives each of us the power to speak freely in an open and easily accessible forum. With the click of the mouse we can make an instant impact on another person’s life, for better or for worse. It is not a privilege to be taken lightly. 

We live in a fast-paced and very impersonal world. We often vent our frustrations toward the wrong person. The health care system in general is cause enough to arouse anger. Before we take that anger public we need to reflect on the situation, double-check our facts, and understand the possible consequences of our actions, both morally and legally. It’s all too easy to cast a negative shadow over another human being and, once something goes live on the internet, it takes on a life of its own. There are other ways to handle medical complaints.

That being said, I believe in the free flow of information and right to free speech. My first instinct is to say that I would decline to sign such a waiver, even as I respect the physician point of view. 

Online health sites are a powerful resource, capable of dispensing invaluable information, but must be used with great care.