Through the Physician's Eyes

Hey doc, my son got this stuff off the Internet. I was looking at it and wondering, how come I'm not taking this medicine?" I smile, taking the printed pages from Mr. S, then look down to see what he's found. Quickly scanning this printout from an arthritis support group Web site, I see a discussion of chondroitin and glucosamine for osteoarthritis. My mind races; do these substances work? I recall a recent Grand Rounds on osteoarthritis, the speaker mentioning the data suggesting a possible benefit, and breathe a mental sigh of relief. "Mr. S," I say, "there have been some studies on these two supplements for patients like you, and some show that they do help. But not all experts agree, and we don't know some of the possible harms. "Also," I continue, "it's hard to know if the stuff you buy is the right potency, since these are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration." Another crisis averted. With each passing day, my anxiety about the next Internet printout rises. Next time, it may be a treatment that I know nothing about. How soon will my patients know more than I do? What will they think if I don't know the latest development? Is the information they read even accurate

Family medicine · The Internet · World Wide Web · Computer Science · Healthcare Systems and Technology · Medicine · Patient-Provider Communication in Healthcare · Primary Care and Health Outcomes · Psychology