E-patients: Educated, engaged, and empowered
*Is pharma ready for the age of the e-patient?* The age of the e-patient has officially arrived.
By on Jan 13, 2011Is pharma ready for the age of the e-patient?
The age of the e-patient has officially arrived.
A growing number of people are using the Internet to educate themselves on health and engage with each other via social media, both of which lead to empowerment.
The latest Manhattan Research data shows that 99 million U.S. adults are e-empowered patients using online information and tools to take a more active role in their health care.
Patients have inserted themselves into the traditional relationship between physicians and pharmaceutical companies. (For more on empowered patients, see Adherence and the empowered patient.)
Caregivers and patients are increasingly asking for specific treatmentsand getting them.
With the huge amount of medical information available, there is no way physicians can keep up.
Dr. Donald Lindberg, director of the National Library of Medicine, said, If I read and memorized two medical journal articles every night, by the end of a year Id be 400 years behind.
However, many patients are motivated to learn everything they can about their condition.
This is especially true of rare disease patients, who in many ways are the ultimate e-patients. (For more on patients with rare diseases, see The patients view: How patients can add value toand influencepharma.)
As one woman commented on the Facebook page for the National Organization for Rare Disorders: When your doctor has to do an Internet search for your disease, you are forced to become an empowered patient.
Dave de Bronkart became so empowered that he is now commonly known as e-Patient Dave, and his story is an inspiration to others.
In conjunction with Kru Research, he created this video that shows the Future of Patients is e-Patients.
The next question is whether physicians and hospitalsand pharma firmsare ready for e-patients! (For more on the pharmas relationship to patients, see The pharma connection: How to foster patient-physician collaboration.)
Eileen OBrien is director of search and innovation at Siren Interactive. She blogs at Sirensong.