|
|
|
|
The Business of Health Care Report
Today, our discussion will focus
on the Internet, an increasingly valuable tool for health care information. Health care in America is in
transition because of shrinking government budgets and rising health care costs.
Yet there is a more subtle, and perhaps more far-reaching, change occurring as people
take time to learn more about health issues in general and their own health in
particular. Consumer-oriented health information
abounds on TV. Health and wellness publications overflow magazine racks. Bookstores stock
medical guides ranging from the simple to the complex. And now, the Internet is starting to
play a significant role in helping Americans get more information about health care. Patients are creating online
communities that provide peer support, information on the latest research, and personal
stories about their experiences. Health care professionals are using the Internet for
research, to consult with their colleagues and to keep in touch with their patients.
The exact number of health-related Web sites available is unknown, but it is widely
believed that the 27,000 health sites indexed on Yahoo! represent only a small fraction
of the universe of health Web sites. In a national survey on the scope of
health topics that Americans are searching online, the Pew Internet & American Life Project
finds that 80 percent of Internet users have gone online to find health information, an
increase from 62 percent last year. The most common task was researching specific diseases
or medical problems, something done by 63 percent of those who sought online health
information. Texas Health Resources' own Web site
- TexasHealth.org - is part of the trend, with almost 80 percent more visitors this year
than in 2002. Without a doubt, the forces pushing
the Internet into health and health care are strong, ensuring that the World Wide Web
will continue to grow as a significant source of health care information. For Texas Health Resources
and its family of hospitals - Harris Methodist Hospitals, Presbyterian
Healthcare System and Arlington Memorial Hospital - I'm CEO
Doug Hawthorne
with "The Business of Health Care Report" on NewsRadio 1080 KRLD.
©
2003 Texas Health Resources |
I'm Doug Hawthorne, President and CEO of Texas Health Resources, with
"The Business of Health Care Report" on 