Charles Jaeger

Internet House Calls: Using Web-based Communication Models in Teaching Medicine and the Internet

This study gave students practical experience with cyberspace communication in dealing with medical issues. The design of the exploratory study is qualitative, using open-ended questionnaires, interviews, and group discussions. The sample was drawn from a senior 400-level seminar for both nursing and marketing students. Analysis within and between interviews explored communication barriers and strategies for exploring topics and completing written and oral presentations, including practical hands-on experience using innovative new millennium communication methods and channels for research and clinical issues in doctor-patient consultations, examinations, robotic medicine, personalized medicine, etc. Topics included Internet implications for information access; digital medical records; privacy issues; digital prescriptions; on-line pharmacies; and centralizing or deregulating public health care systems. Communication models included on-line forums, chat rooms, Skype, remote meetings, Google Docs, and relationship and “friend” specific communication on Facebook, Twitter, Ning, and Linked-in, including the role of wealth and resources and international comparisons.