TY - GEN
T1 - "Bad" literacy, the internet, and the limits of patient empowerment
AU - Schulz, Peter J.
AU - Nakamoto, Kent
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - The growth of health literacy and patient empowerment movements has resulted in a more active and prominent role for patients as autonomous actors in decisions relating to their health. The Internet has become an important source of information for patients seeking to understand their health conditions and to evaluate possible treatments. However, in making autonomous healthcare decisions, the Internet can be viewed by patients as a decision support system. The Internet is poorly adapted to this task and may lead patients to make hasty, ill-informed, and even dangerous health choices. It is important, therefore, to guide patients to approach the Internet with appropriate skepticism and to temper their perceptions of autonomy.
AB - The growth of health literacy and patient empowerment movements has resulted in a more active and prominent role for patients as autonomous actors in decisions relating to their health. The Internet has become an important source of information for patients seeking to understand their health conditions and to evaluate possible treatments. However, in making autonomous healthcare decisions, the Internet can be viewed by patients as a decision support system. The Internet is poorly adapted to this task and may lead patients to make hasty, ill-informed, and even dangerous health choices. It is important, therefore, to guide patients to approach the Internet with appropriate skepticism and to temper their perceptions of autonomy.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=80051514442&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:80051514442
SN - 9781577354932
T3 - AAAI Spring Symposium - Technical Report
SP - 65
EP - 69
BT - Artificial Intelligence and Health Communication - Papers from the AAAI Spring Symposium, Technical Report
PB - AI Access Foundation
T2 - 2011 AAAI Spring Symposium
Y2 - 21 March 2011 through 23 March 2011
ER -