“Dr. Google” and the Clinician: How the Internet Can Benefit the Patient-Practitioner Relationship

As medicine moves towards a patient-centered care model, clinicians are encouraged to discuss information brought to them by patients and explain the value of evidence-based medical knowledge.⁶ Emphasizing communication to discuss Internet information and resources can help clinicians in greater understanding of patient emotions, concerns, and decision-making processes for treatment and care.⁷

Jack Chou, MD, a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians’ board of directors, told Medical Economics, “I am not afraid of Dr. Google because Google can never come close to a family physician…I see Google as a tool. It’s not to supplant what we do as physicians.”⁷ “Dr. Google” is not likely to vanish from patient care in the near future, but it can actually be a powerful tool for clinicians in engaging patients in their own care and therapy.

References

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