Surfing the 'Net for information and support
by Ann MacDonald
It wasn't that long ago when the only way to find out about a medical condition was to ask your doctor or trek down to the local library and do some research. Today, the Internet and its major component, the World Wide Web, have begun to reshape the way people obtain medical information.
George Demetri, M.D.
Although only a small percentage of patients are currently using the Internet as their primary source of such information, that is likely to change in the coming years. In 1998, roughly 25 million people in the U.S. — about half of all Americans who went online — said they "surfed" the Internet for health information. That number is expected to increase to at least 33 million — and some predict it might double to 50 million — by the end of 2000.
Many of those who go online are finding support as well as information. Chat rooms and other virtual support groups enable people in various parts of the country (and the world) to share experiences and concerns as if they were neighbors.
Although the Internet has its limits, George Demetri, M.D., of Dana-Farber's Department of Adult Oncology, thinks that Web technology enhances patient-physician communication. "When properly used with reliable sources, Internet-based dissemination of information can be an ideal 'just-in-time' technology that communicates relevant data to patients and their families exactly when they need it," Demetri says. "After all, most people aren't out there cruising the Web for cancer information until they have to."
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