THE IMPLICATIONS OF INTERNET USE IN THE DOCTOR-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP: A CASE STUDY IN A HOSPITAL IN THE CITY OF SAO PAULO - BRAZIL

The aim of this qualitative study was to investigate the influence of the Internet on the patient-physician relationship as perceived by physicians. We used a self-administered questionnaire about physician perception on the use of the Internet by patients and about whether that use interferes with the doctor-patient relationship. Of 116 physicians responding, 85.3% reported that their patients accessed the Internet and that 92% used that information in a following visit. When a patient seeks information on the Internet, the medical visit takes longer, according to 46.6% of the respondents, and 42.2% stated that patients brought information that was not known by the doctors themselves. Overall, 56.9% of the physicians thought that the Internet helped the doctor-patient relationship, 27.6% thought it interfered with the relationship, and 15.5% believed that the Internet had a negative impact.