Internet Is "Transforming"
Practice of Medicine

DEC. 8, 2000 | A University of Washington oncologist told a UAMS audience Wednesday that the Internet is rapidly “transforming” the practice of medicine, as consumers obtain medical information, services, and drugs online.

An associate in clinical research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center at the University of Washington, Edus H. Warren, M.D., Ph.D., was the keynote speaker at the 10th annual Professional Development Day of the UAMS Women's Faculty Development Caucus.

He echoed a 1995 prediction by the New England Journal of Medicine that Internet communication will “replace a substantial amount of the [health] care now delivered in person.”

Warren led viewers on a tour of Internet sites, including national databases about physicians, online discussion groups about particular diseases, and medical journals.

He said the Internet already enables patients and consumers to research health care topics and rapidly exchange information about individual physicians. As Internet technology improves, more physicians will use the Internet to communicate with patients by e-mail and to exchange digital information, such as ultrasound images, for the purposes of consultation and diagnosis.

Warren described his experience of reading an article in the New England Journal of Medicine online and being able to view streaming video of conjoined twins in utero as an example of the power of the Internet to disseminate health information.

Charles Smith, M.D., professor in the UAMS Department of Family and Community Medicine and associate dean for clinical affairs of the College of Medicine, followed Warren on the program. He described EDoc.America, an online medical information service.

Links in this article:

Hutchinson Center: www.fhcrc.org
Women's Faculty Development Caucus: www.uams.edu/cmefd/cme2.htm
New England Journal: www.nejm.org/content/1995/0332/0001/0052.asp
article: www.nejm.org/content/2000/0343/0006/0399.asp
UAMS Department of Family and Community Medicine: www.uams.edu/dfcm/new.htm
Edocamerica: www.edocamerica.com