You've no doubt had a patient walk into your office with research found from Dr. Google or WebMD, often requesting treatment options based on their online research. What should you do?
Posted in Articles on Thursday, June 20, 2024
With a wealth of information available in seconds online, more people research their conditions, symptoms and treatments online than ever before.
Many health care providers are divided when it comes to whether online research is harmful or beneficial. While it can be a great tool to provide patients with a better understanding of their condition or medications, it can also be incorrect or misleading, providing false information from an unreliable source. This can lead to false hope, needless anxiety, and every emotion in between.
Because there is no regulation or validation of online material, it can be very hard for patients to understand what sources are credible. What should you do when a patient provides or discusses online research with you? Here are a few do’s and don’t’s to help you handle the situation.
Don’t: Immediately Shoot Them Down
While your first reaction may be to turn your nose up, remember that patients often have more free time to devote to online learning about new supplements, remedies, or breakthrough treatments than you do. It's not unheard of to have cases where a patient's research ended up being critical to successful treatment and outcome.
Don’t: Refuse to Read It
Even if you can immediately tell by the title or the source that the information is off the mark, tell the patient, "At first glance, I'm not sure this applies to you, but I will read it and look further into it." If you disregard the research provided and it was later deemed to be valid and could have positively affected your patient, you could be found negligent for not providing that treatment.
Do: Review the Information
Let your patient know you will take the time to read the information and determine if it's credible, if it applies to their condition or treatment, and if it's accessible.
Do: Update Your Patient and Document Your Findings
Whether your findings are pro or con, let your patient know what you discover. You should also keep a copy of the material in their file, along with your notes. For example: 05/02/2024 — read an article provided by patient. 06/21/24 — discussed material with patient and explained why the proposed treatment option isn't applicable to his situation.
Do: Regularly Ask About Your Patients' Online Research
Checking in on a regular basis allows you to offer your expertise and guidance about reliable sources, appropriate search terms and keywords relative to their condition, and how to verify sources and dates. Providing guidance on quality online research for health information can be helpful for everyone, even beyond the issue they are seeing you for. You may even consider keeping a guide to quality research in your waiting room.