The impact of the Internet on pediatric medicine

The Internet has affected pediatricians and the families they serve in many ways by empowering users to manage information, and to communicate faster and more effectively. The Internet allows practitioners to store, retrieve, and manipulate patient-specific and general medical information within increasingly sophisticated integrated systems, allowing 'just-in-time' information at the point of care. Related technologies allow asynchronous, real-time, and mobile communication with colleagues, patients, and health organizations. These same technologies have empowered patients to seek health information independently from online libraries, support groups, and second opinions not previously available, creating knowledgeable and value-conscious healthcare consumers, thus evolving the nature of the physician-patient relationship. Because of these technology advances and their present and future effects on practice and patients, it is increasingly important for the general pediatrician to be aware of the potentials, practicalities, and pitfalls of the Internet with regard to general pediatrics.