Italians consult more and more the "doctor Web", but then talk to their doctor. Over two thirds of Italian Internet users, in fact, look for health news on the Internet when they have a symptom or a pathology. Then, however, in 8 out of 10 cases we go to the trusted doctor to find out more. It is one of the data from the Eurisko research presented in Rome on the occasion of the launch of the new version of Univadis, a portal that the same survey indicates as a reference for Italian doctors and which is created by MSD.
"Patients - explains Isabella Cecchini, director of the Gfk Eurisko Health department - who seek health information on the web expect the doctor to share the information with them but, above all, to report the generic condition read on the Internet, to the specific situation that Then the patient is often frightened on the Web: the indications on diagnosis and therapy, in fact, are often anxiety-provoking and there is the awareness of internet users that they do not have reliable references on these delicate issues. ".
In all of this, however, it is precisely "the white coats that are not ready – continues Cecchini – in fact, in our research, we asked doctors if they perceived the increase in patients who turn to the network. Everyone, especially the oncologists, are convinced of the great importance of the phenomenon".
But the 40% of the specialists and the 50% of the family doctors "think - continues the expert - that this modality impacts on the doctor-patient relationship and hinders it. One thing that the patient does not even have in mind. This means that it is the doctor not being ready to share information with the client”.
Raffaella Ammirat
