[Air-L] the role of new media in reducing health care cost?

[Mariana Goya]

More than reducing health cost, it seems to me that internet is certainly giving (or can give)
more agency to patients in their health issues. The information that can be found online goes 
from medical information and advice given by medical institutions (mayo clinic, for instance), 
published research papers, patients' recommendations of doctors (as in yelp), and patients 
exchange of medical advice and symptoms as well as empathic feelings. An informed patient surely
has more resources to make decisions related to her health and to make better questions to the 
doctor or even suggesting specific treatments or medicines. 

This access to medical information is especially important in the US where getting easy/fast access
to doctors is not always possible.



--- On Mon,
 2/23/09, air-l-request at listserv.aoir.org <air-l-request at listserv.aoir.org> wrote:
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2009 19:37:11 -0500
From: Yifeng Hu <hu at tcnj.edu>
Subject: [Air-L] the role of new media in reducing health care cost?
To: air-l at listserv.aoir.org

Hi all,

I am looking for articles/thoughts about whether new media can play a 
role in reducing health care cost. Any perspectives are welcome.

Thanks.

Yifeng**

-- 
Yifeng Hu, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Communication Studies
Kendall Hall 244
The College of New Jersey
2000 Pennington Rd.
Ewing, NJ 08628
Telephone: 609-771-2373
Fax: 609-637-5187
Email: hu at tcnj.edu
Homepage: http://www.tcnj.edu/~hu/


Mariana Goya-Martinez
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign