Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Clinical Practice Related to the Treatment of Pain. Influence on the Professional Activity and the Doctor-Patient Relationship

  • Systems-Level Quality Improvement
  • Published:
Journal of Medical Systems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The increasing relevance of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in medical care is indisputable. This evidence makes it necessary to start studies that analyse the scope these new forms of access to information and understanding of medicine have on the professional activity of the physician, on the attitude and on the knowledge of patients or, on the doctor-patient relationship. The purpose of this study is to explore some of these aspects in a group of physicians whose clinical activity is related to one of the greatest social impact health problems which is the treatment of chronic pain. Starting with the completion of a questionnaire, in the study group it is observed that the interaction between social structure, increase of information flows and ICTs generate transformations in social practices and behaviour of the actors of the health system. Internet is confirmed as an information space on the subject, but is shown as an underutilized space of interaction between the doctor and his patient.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Nettleton, S., Burrows, R., and O’Malley, L., The mundane realities of the every day lay use of the internet for health, and their consequences for media convergence. Sociology of Health & Illnes. 27:972–992, 2005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Webster, A., Innovative health technologies and the social: Redefining health, medicine and the body. Curr. Sociol. 50:443–457, 2002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Powell, J.A., Darvell, M., and Gray, J.A., The doctor, the patient and the world-wide web: how the internet is changing healthcare. J. R. Soc. Med. 96:74–76, 2003.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Powell, J.A., Lowe, P., Griffiths, F.E., and Thorogood, M., A critical analysis of the literature on the internet and consumer health information. J. Telemed. Telecare. 11:41–43, 2005.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Dear, B.F., Gandy, M., Karin, E., Staples, L.G., Johnston, L., Fogliati, V.J., Wootton, B.M., Terides, M.D., Kayrouz, R., Perry, K.N., Sharpe, L., Nicholas, M.K., and Titov, N., The pain course: a randomised controlled trial examining an internet-delivered pain management program when provided with different levels of clinician support. Pain. 156:1920–1935, 2015.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Santana, S., Lausen, B., Bujnowska-Fedak, M., Chronaki, C., Kummervold, P.E., Rasmussen, J., and Sorensen, T., Online communication between doctors and patients in Europe: status and perspectives. J. Med. Internet Res.12(2):e20, 2010. doi:10.2196/jmir.1281 .2010

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Cuvillon, P., and Boisson, C., Teletherapeutic drug administration by long distance via internet control: Back to the future? Ann. Fr. Anesth. Reanim. 33:8–9, 2014.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. De Lima Verde Brito TD, Baptista RS, de Lima Lopes PR, Haddad AE, Messina LA, Torres Pisa I The collaborative coordination of special interest groups on the telemedicine university network (RUTE) in Brazil. Stud Health Technol 2015; 216:1010, 2015.

  9. Trompetter, H.R., Bohlmeijer, E.T., Veehof, M.M., and Schreurs, K.M., Internet-based guided self-help intervention for chronic pain based on acceptance and commitment therapy: a randomized controlled trial. J. Behav. Med. 38:66–80, 2014.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. OECD (2005) Health at a glance. OECD indicators 2005. OECD, Paris

  11. Muriel Fernandez J (2015) Estudio de los usos de internet de los profesionales sanitarios vinculados en el tratamiento del dolor crónico. Tesis Doctoral, Universidad de Salamanca. En: gredos.usal.es/jspui/bitstream/10366/.../DC

  12. Levy, J., and Strombeck, R., Health benefits and risk of the internet. J. Med. Syst. 26:495–510, 2002.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Anderson, J.G., Rainey, M.R., and Eysenbach, G., The impact of cyber healthcare on the physician–patient relationship. J. Med. Syst. 27:67–83, 2003.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Silver, M.P., Patient perspectives on online health information and communication with doctors: a qualitative study of patients 50 years old and over. J. Med. Internet Res. 17(1):e19, 2015. doi:10.2196/jmir.3588.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  15. Love, T., Laier, C., Brand, M., Hatch, L., and Hajela, R., Neuroscience of internet addiction: A review and update. Behav. Sci. 18:388–433, 2015.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Ma, L., Kaye, A.D., Bean, M., and Vo, N., Ruan X (2015) a five-star doctor? Online rating of physicians by patients in an internet driven world. Pain Physician. 18:E15–E17, 2015.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Ferguson, A.M., McLean, D., and Risko, E.F., Answers at your finger-tips: Access to the internet influences willingness to answer questions. Conscious. Cogn. 1:91–102, 2015.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Mars, B., Heron, J., Biddle, L., Donovan, J.L., Holley, R., Piper, M., Potokar, J., Wyllie, C., and Gunnell, D., Exposure to, and searching for, information about suicide and self-harm on the internet: Prevalence and predictors in a population based cohort of young adults. J Affect Di- sord. 1:239–245, 2015.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Schneider, L.H., and Hadjistavropoulos, H.D., When in doubt, ask the audience: potential users’ perceptions of internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy for chronic pain. Pain Res. Manag. 19:173–178, 2014.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  20. Walsh, K., Neuroscience education on the internet: the next steps. Malays J Med Sci. 21:75–82, 2014.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  21. Nieto, R., Secondary prevention of chronic pain: can internet help. Pain Manag. 4:285–291, 2014.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The study was funded by an aid for research by the Cátedra Extraordinaria del Dolor “Fundación Grünenthal” of the University of Salamanca.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to María José Sánchez Ledesma.

Additional information

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Systems-Level Quality Improvement

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Fernandez, J.M., Cenador, M.B.G., Manuel López Millan, J. et al. Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Clinical Practice Related to the Treatment of Pain. Influence on the Professional Activity and the Doctor-Patient Relationship. J Med Syst 41, 77 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-017-0724-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-017-0724-5

Keywords

Navigation