The Rise of the ePatient - presentation by Pew Internet Project

Director Lee Rainie presented at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California on January 12, 2012 on understanding social networking and online health information seeking:

The Rise of the e-Patient

View more presentations from Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project

Link via via e-patients.net

Here is how to facilitate the Rise of the ePhysican who works hand in hand with the ePatient:



References:

Social media in medicine: How to be a Twitter superstar and help your patients and your practice

Social media in medical education - Grand Rounds presentation by IUH Med/Peds residency program director http://goo.gl/Zw3lK

Internet Addiction documentary shows Chinese boot-camp-style treatment

China's Web Junkies - Internet Addiction Documentary by the NYTimes about a Chinese boot-camp-style treatment center for young men "addicted" to the Internet. Read the story here: http://nyti.ms/1moCt4h



Compulsive Internet use has been categorized as a mental health issue in many countries, including the United States, but China was among the first to label “Internet addiction” a clinical disorder. This video shows the inner workings of a rehabilitation center where Chinese teenagers are “deprogrammed.”

There are now hundreds of treatment programs throughout China and South Korea. The first inpatient Internet addiction program in the United States recently opened in Pennsylvania. Here is the link to the CNN story about the program.

Is Internet addiction real?

According to The New York Times, Internet addiction affects 10 percent of the web users in the U.S. The so-called "Onlineaholics" spend endless hours surfing the web to the point that their Internet activity disturbs their daily life.

 A growing number of therapists are treating web addicts with the 12-step programs, used to treat chemical addictions. The condition is not officially recognized as a psychiatric disorder and insurance companies do not pay for treatment.

 The University of Massachusetts, Lowell has more information on the Internet addiction disorder: Take an Internet Addiction Survey Online

Online social networking may 'harm health' due to reduction of face-to-face contact

Aric Sigman pubslished his "warning" in Biologist, the journal of the Institute of Biology (click here for the original PDF). From BBC:

• Lack of face-to-face networking could alter the way genes work, upset immune responses, hormone levels, the function of arteries, and influence mental performance
  
  
• Number of hours people spend interacting face-to-face has fallen dramatically since 1987, as the use of electronic media has increased
  
  
• "One of the most pronounced changes in the daily habits of British citizens is a reduction in the number of minutes per day that they interact with another human being," he said.
  
  
• "In less than two decades, the number of people saying there is no-one with whom they discuss important matters nearly tripled."

"Netiquette" and married couples

From the study:

Men are more associated with activities that have been associated with internet addiction. Men usually take more risks in their online activity.

Women are more likely to have lower computer self-efficacy and less positive internet attitudes. Women are more aware of privacy and economic risks in online transactions.

6% of married internet users have met their partner online.

In 30% of the couples at least one person checked their partner’s emails or read their partner’s SMS messages without them knowing. In 20% of the couples at least one the partners had checked their spouse’s browser history.

References:

Hooked on the Web: Help Is on the Way. NYTimes, published: December 1, 2005
Is Internet addiction real? American Psychological Association
Netiquette within married couples
Helsper, E., & Whitty, M. (2010). Netiquette within married couples: Agreement about acceptable online behavior and surveillance between partners Computers in Human Behavior DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2010.02.006
Online networking 'harms health.' BBC.

30% of doctors have changed a patient's treatment as a result of an Internet search

From AMedNews:

86% of physicians use Internet to access health information. Why not 100%?

72% of physicians start their health information search with a search engine, 92% of those using Google.

A third of doctors have changed a patient's treatment as a result of an Internet search.

Consistent with other search engine research findings that users tend to click the most prominent links, 92% of physician searchers clicked on the links appearing at the top of the page, 46% clicked those in the middle of the page, and 24% clicked on those on the bottom. Also, 8% clicked on sponsored links.

References:
86% of physicians use Internet to access health information. AMedNews.
Image source: Doctors Using Google by Philipp Lenssen, used with permission.

Couple addicted to the internet let their baby starve to death while raising a virtual daughter online

From BBC:

A South Korean couple who were addicted to the internet let their three-month-old baby starve to death while raising a virtual daughter online, police said.

An autopsy showed her death was caused by a long period of malnutrition.

The couple had become obsessed with nurturing a virtual girl called Anima in the popular role-playing game Prius Online.

Some psychiatrists still have doubts if Internet addiction exists but it looks pretty much for real in this video:



References:

S Korea child 'starves as parents raise virtual baby'. BBC.

Using the Internet for health purposes was associated with increased depression

The rapid expansion of the Internet has increased the ease with which the public can obtain medical information. Most research on the utility of the Internet for health purposes has evaluated the quality of the information or examined its impact on clinical populations. Little is known about the consequences of its use by the general population.

Health-related Internet use was associated with small but reliable increases in depression (i.e., increasing use of the Internet for health purposes from 3 to 5 days per week to once a day was associated with 0.11 standard deviations more symptoms of depression, P = 0.002).

Using the Internet for health purposes was associated with increased depression. The increase may be due to increased rumination, unnecessary alarm, or over-attention to health problems.

In contrast, using the Internet to communicate with friends and family was associated with declines in depression.

References:

Effects of Internet Use on Health and Depression: A Longitudinal Study. J Med Internet Res 2010;12(1):e6.

Negative consequences from the use of internet for health information - CDC (PDF) http://goo.gl/Fgcq via http://goo.gl/947F

Image source: Wikipedia, public domain.

Updated: 08/12/2010

Excessive Internet use may be linked to depression

Excessive Internet use may be linked to depression. Spend a day offline and connect with friends and family.

Twitter comment by @MiriamETucker: But they're all online!

Your Internet use could be telling you something about your mental health. If you keep up with friends via Facebook or spend more time chatting online with strangers than with family, it might be time to disconnect the computer for awhile — and check in with yourself.

The researchers analyzed internet use and depression levels of 1,319 Britons aged between 16 and 51. An online questionnaire was used to measure participants' Internet use, the functions for which they used the Internet, and their depressive tendencies. Of these, 1.2 percent were "internet addicted."

"Excessive internet use is associated with depression, but what we don't know is which comes first -- are depressed people drawn to the internet or does the internet cause depression?"

Using the Web to replace your usual social circle could be a red flag. Instead of spending hours on message boards, pick up the phone and call someone.

Twitter comments:

@BiteTheDust (Robbo) re: internet and depression.... if you skype someone is that using the phone or using the internet? just asking :)

@amacdt Especially if you use video skype - it's a tough one. I find that I really enjoy talking to people with video

References:

The relationship between excessive Internet use and depression: a questionnaire-based study of 1,319 young people and adults. Morrison CM, Gore H. Psychopathology. 2010;43(2):121-6. Epub 2010 Jan 23.

Study links excessive Internet use to depression. Reuters.

http://www.360-5.com

Image source: Wikipedia, public domain.

U-shaped link between Internet use and children health - beware of heavy use or very little/none

Study participants were categorized into 4 groups according to their intensity of Internet use:

- heavy Internet users (HIUs; >2 hours/day)

- regular Internet users (RIUs; several days per week and 2 hours/day)

- occasional users (1 hour/week)

- and non-Internet users (NIUs; no use in the previous month)

Health factors examined were:

- perceived health

- depression

- overweight

- headaches

- back pain

- insufficient sleep

U-shaped link

Heavy Internet users of both genders were more likely to report higher depressive scores.

Only male users were found at increased risk of overweight and female users at increased risk of insufficient sleep.

Non-Internet users (NIUs) and occasional users also were found at increased risk of higher depressive scores.

Back-pain complaints were found predominantly among male non-Internet users.

There was a U-shaped relationship between intensity of Internet use and poorer mental health of adolescents. Heavy Internet users were confirmed at increased risk for somatic health problems.

Regular Internet use (up to 2 hours per day) is OK

Health professionals should be on the alert when caring for adolescents who report either heavy Internet use or very little/none. Regular Internet use as a normative behavior without major health consequences.

Take home point

Whatever the intensity of your Internet use is (if you are reading this, my guess is that the "intensity" of you sedentary lifestyle is high), don't forget the benefits of regular exercise:


"Health Promotion" video: Benefits of exercise.

References:
A U-Shaped Association Between Intensity of Internet Use and Adolescent Health. PEDIATRICS Vol. 127 No. 2 February 2011, pp. e330-e335 (doi:10.1542/peds.2010-1235)

Image source: Wikipedia, public domain.