Re: [Air-L] the role of new media in reducing health care cost?
More than reducing health cost, it seems to me that internet is certainly giving (or can give) more agency to patients in their health issues. The information that can be found online goes from medical information and advice given by medical institutions (mayo clinic, for instance), published research papers, patients' recommendations of doctors (as in yelp), and patients exchange of medical advice and symptoms as well as empathic feelings. An informed patient surely has more resources to make decisions related to her health and to make better questions to the doctor or even suggesting specific treatments or medicines. This access to medical information is especially important in the US where getting easy/fast access to doctors is not always possible. --- On Mon, 2/23/09, air-l-request@listserv.aoir.org <air-l-request@listserv.aoir.org> wrote: Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:37:11 -0500 From: Yifeng Hu <hu@tcnj.edu> Subject: [Air-L] the role of new media in reducing health care cost? To: air-l@listserv.aoir.org Hi all, I am looking for articles/thoughts about whether new media can play a role in reducing health care cost. Any perspectives are welcome. Thanks. Yifeng** -- Yifeng Hu, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Communication Studies Kendall Hall 244 The College of New Jersey 2000 Pennington Rd. Ewing, NJ 08628 Telephone: 609-771-2373 Fax: 609-637-5187 Email: hu@tcnj.edu Homepage: http://www.tcnj.edu/~hu/ Mariana Goya-Martinez University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Two edited books that include chapters speaking to a wide variety of potential benefits -- and disadvantages -- of online health information and health care. Tables of contents of both are available at: http://www.comm.ucsb.edu/faculty/rrice/B10.htm and http://www.comm.ucsb.edu/faculty/rrice/B6.htm ======================================================= Ronald E. Rice Arthur N. Rupe Chair in the Social Effects of Mass Communication Co-Director, Carsey-Wolf Center for Film, Television, and New Media President of the International Communication Association 2006-2007 Dept. of Communication, 4840 Ellison Hall University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106-4020 Ph: 805-893-8696; Fax: 805-893-7102 rrice@comm.ucsb.edu http://www.comm.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/rice.php http://www.cftnm.ucsb.edu/ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mariana Goya" <mgoyam@yahoo.com> To: <air-l@listserv.aoir.org> Sent: Monday, February 23, 2009 5:39 PM Subject: Re: [Air-L] the role of new media in reducing health care cost?
More than reducing health cost, it seems to me that internet is certainly giving (or can give) more agency to patients in their health issues. The information that can be found online goes from medical information and advice given by medical institutions (mayo clinic, for instance), published research papers, patients' recommendations of doctors (as in yelp), and patients exchange of medical advice and symptoms as well as empathic feelings. An informed patient surely has more resources to make decisions related to her health and to make better questions to the doctor or even suggesting specific treatments or medicines.
This access to medical information is especially important in the US where getting easy/fast access to doctors is not always possible.
--- On Mon, 2/23/09, air-l-request@listserv.aoir.org <air-l-request@listserv.aoir.org> wrote: Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:37:11 -0500 From: Yifeng Hu <hu@tcnj.edu> Subject: [Air-L] the role of new media in reducing health care cost? To: air-l@listserv.aoir.org
Hi all,
I am looking for articles/thoughts about whether new media can play a role in reducing health care cost. Any perspectives are welcome.
Thanks.
Yifeng**
-- Yifeng Hu, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Communication Studies Kendall Hall 244 The College of New Jersey 2000 Pennington Rd. Ewing, NJ 08628 Telephone: 609-771-2373 Fax: 609-637-5187 Email: hu@tcnj.edu Homepage: http://www.tcnj.edu/~hu/
Mariana Goya-Martinez University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
I think it is important and excellent question. However it needs to teased out a bit, are you only considering patients and there families becoming more informed about health in general or specific diagnostic / medical treatments drugs etc, peer support; or improved information for clinicians within and across health care system or a combination of both. The problem is very little research has been done as to how and when people will pick up and use information and knowledge within health system particularly service users . What is clear people turn to trusted gate keepers in the first instance, this is most often family and friends. They are then likely to try a trusted information source within there local network, be it local Doctor, Health Food shop owner etc. One of the significant problems in this type of area is the difference in the health care systems and access to primary health care. If it is user pay system, people may be more likely to seek assistance from other sources, if there is a universal health care system people may have built up a trusted relationship with a local Dr or health care / community care worker and utalsie them at no or little cost. Two different mains stream approaches using internet / new media are worth looking at in the UK. These being NHS Direct and Ouch on the BBC. NHS Direct is both and online and telephone service staffed by nurses and other staff funded by NHS. Ouch is a site on the BBC for people with disabilities and is operated by people with disabilities. Both are quite different. However they do provide support and information to people in the health welfare system. As to wether they save money is still problematic. However if people are making informed decisions and about there health care then in its self I believe is a reasonable outcome. Andrew Clark Researcher Centre for Health Assets The University NSW Australia andrew@unsw.edu.au On 24/02/2009, at 2:41 PM, Ronald E. Rice wrote:
Two edited books that include chapters speaking to a wide variety of potential benefits -- and disadvantages -- of online health information and health care. Tables of contents of both are available at: http://www.comm.ucsb.edu/faculty/rrice/B10.htm and http://www.comm.ucsb.edu/faculty/rrice/B6.htm ======================================================= Ronald E. Rice Arthur N. Rupe Chair in the Social Effects of Mass Communication Co-Director, Carsey-Wolf Center for Film, Television, and New Media President of the International Communication Association 2006-2007 Dept. of Communication, 4840 Ellison Hall University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106-4020 Ph: 805-893-8696; Fax: 805-893-7102 rrice@comm.ucsb.edu http://www.comm.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/rice.php http://www.cftnm.ucsb.edu/ ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mariana Goya" <mgoyam@yahoo.com> To: <air-l@listserv.aoir.org> Sent: Monday, February 23, 2009 5:39 PM Subject: Re: [Air-L] the role of new media in reducing health care cost?
More than reducing health cost, it seems to me that internet is certainly giving (or can give) more agency to patients in their health issues. The information that can be found online goes from medical information and advice given by medical institutions (mayo clinic, for instance), published research papers, patients' recommendations of doctors (as in yelp), and patients exchange of medical advice and symptoms as well as empathic feelings. An informed patient surely has more resources to make decisions related to her health and to make better questions to the doctor or even suggesting specific treatments or medicines.
This access to medical information is especially important in the US where getting easy/fast access to doctors is not always possible.
--- On Mon, 2/23/09, air-l-request@listserv.aoir.org <air-l-request@listserv.aoir.org
wrote: Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:37:11 -0500 From: Yifeng Hu <hu@tcnj.edu> Subject: [Air-L] the role of new media in reducing health care cost? To: air-l@listserv.aoir.org
Hi all,
I am looking for articles/thoughts about whether new media can play a role in reducing health care cost. Any perspectives are welcome.
Thanks.
Yifeng**
-- Yifeng Hu, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Communication Studies Kendall Hall 244 The College of New Jersey 2000 Pennington Rd. Ewing, NJ 08628 Telephone: 609-771-2373 Fax: 609-637-5187 Email: hu@tcnj.edu Homepage: http://www.tcnj.edu/~hu/
Mariana Goya-Martinez University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
_______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http:// aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
Join the Association of Internet Researchers: http://www.aoir.org/
_______________________________________________ The Air-L@listserv.aoir.org mailing list is provided by the Association of Internet Researchers http://aoir.org Subscribe, change options or unsubscribe at: http://listserv.aoir.org/listinfo.cgi/air-l-aoir.org
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Ronald E. Rice