Abstract
W ithin the changing dynamic of health care, health care professionals (HCPs) are no longer the sole sources of health information. Recent estimates suggest that 83% of Internet users with chronic conditions such as diabetes go online to look for health information.1 People with diabetes seek online information about the condition, treatment options, practical strategies and tools for managing diabetes in their daily lives, scientific breakthroughs, and advocacy efforts.2 Yet, a Google search for “diabetes” returns 290 million results. A search for “diabetes online support” yields close to 36 million results. This can be overwhelming for anyone. Some HCPs assist with this information overload by filtering and narrowing down online resources and search results for their patients. SurroundHealth, an online learning community for nonphysician HCPs, recently surveyed its members about the use of educational technology in health care. Many respondents reported that they used time during patient interactions to refer patients to online resources. Eighty-two percent of HCPs in private practice reported having referred patients to specific online resources, compared to 60% of HCPs in outpatient clinics and 52% of HCPs in hospital settings. The HCPs who made referrals intended to help patients overcome common online obstacles such as difficulty distinguishing between high-quality information and material that is out of date, inaccurate, or overly promotional.3 Connecting patients to credible online health information during office visits can facilitate more appropriate use of health care resources, shorter clinical encounters, more patient-centered decision-making, and, in some cases, reduced barriers to treatment adherence.4,5 This article explains how online health information and engagement resources are integrated into patients' overall health care experiences. In addition, it addresses common HCP concerns about patients accessing online resources and will outline steps that busy professionals can take to help connect patients to appropriate …
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