Convenient Access?… Not For Everybody

Patients of the new millennium have a strong desire for quick information and the Internet has made this incredibly convenient. One no longer needs to be on a desktop computer with increasingly popular wireless access via cell phones or the more common iPhone available. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 83 percent of Internet users have looked online for health information. Any patient is now empowered to search online anytime, from anywhere, for valuable and sometimes critical information to help them learn about a medical condition or symptom and to search for viable options. The health concern may or may not be life-changing, but patients quickly want to learn their choices to help them reduce anxiety or allow them to plan ahead. They no longer have to wait for a medical appointment to obtain complex answers from their doctor rather they can quickly gain the necessary knowledge online to help them make an informed decision. The fact is that the Internet provides instant answers with options to empower the patient so that the least to the most educated patient can readily weigh the information. The question may not always be convenient, but the Internet sure is. This is a powerful pill.

Although the Internet is certainly convenient for the most sought after medical information such as herpes, pregnancy, depression, heart disease and breast cancer, many useful websites offer information only in English. Globally, millions of Internet users who seek health information are non-English speaking and speak an array of other languages. English-only sites that are well-intended may be counter-productive for those who speak other languages and could result in frustration, anxiety and fear. Language barriers pose challenges, prevent effective communication and remove the possibility of learning. This is the opposite of empowerment. People who speak other languages should be able to access valuable health information in their native language and gain the capacity to explore options. Why not give everyone a shot at this pill? Why not make it convenient for all?

(MUR)