News

Doctors warn of dangers of the internet

Terri Rutter, Washington

Sending emails to medical based sites on the worldwide web may not be the best or the fastest way to get personal medical information, concludes a new study in this week's JAMA (the journal of the American Medical Association).

The study was conducted by Gunther Eysenbach, and Thomas Diepgen from the University Hospital Erlangen, who evaluated the possible responses received by people who seek medical advice through email messages to medically oriented websites.

The researchers identified 57 websites that professed some knowledge of medicine, and specifically of dermatology, and which featured an email address to which people could send mail, presumably of a medical nature. The sites chosen were managed by a university, hospital, or organisation with a commercial interest; one site was managed by a pharmaceutical company.

The two researchers then designed a fictitious patient who had the symptoms of a serious and potentially life threatening dermatological condition. On behalf of this "patient," they then sent an email describing the symptoms and asking for advice. Responses varied.

Only half of the 57 sites that were sent the email message responded; all but three of the respondents claimed to be a doctor. All but two of the respondents advised the patient to see a doctor, and seven gave no other advice. Eighteen respondents gave a proper diagnosis. Responses were returned between 1 and 10 days later.

Noting the 50% response rate and the significant time delay in some instances, the researchers comment that this method of receiving medical information may not be reliable and may waste valuable time, especially in life threatening situations.

They also note that people who communicate with these sites in this way have no guarantee that their communication is actually taking place with a certified doctor; nor is the privacy of their emails assured.

Two other articles in the same issue of JAMA also explore the increasing use of electronic mail.

Alissa Spielberg from Harvard Medical School explained that, although email is becoming an increasingly common form of communication, there are disadvantages. Patients' privacy is paramount, and there are still many unresolved legal issues surrounding the use of email to give medical advice, particularly to unknown patients.
CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?