| The Internet is an influential contrivance that has the potential to improve healthcare information dispersion, healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. Specifically, patient preparation prior to the medical appointment, such as seeking information about his/her health situation on the Internet, has been linked to competent medical communication behaviors. As such, the Internet can potentially be used to introduce educational health materials that will help the patient prepare for the medical appointment. But, it is important to first determine Internet usage rates among the study population and assess patient and physician perceptions of the degree to which access to health information on the Internet affects patient medical communication competence behaviors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the way in which patient search for healthcare information on the Internet affects patient medical communication competence behaviors from the point of view of the patient and the physician. |
