Sciences sociales et santé
MENUInternet et société : reconfigurations du patient et de la médecine ? Volume 22, numéro 1, 2004
- Page(s) : 21-43
- Année de parution : 2004
This paper argues that the availability of health information on the Internet is playing a major role in changing medical knowledge and people’s relationship with health information and advice. The nature of ≪ ehealth ≫ is first defined in order to move away from technological, medical or organisational models that have been given labels including, cybermedicine, telemedicine and health informatics. Theoretical conceptualisations of the relationship between reflexivity, health and information are used to identity key issues that include threats to medical expertise, risks to public safety and the doctor/patient relationship. This analysis suggests that the plural nature of knowledge available through the Internet and the blurring of the distinction between the producers and users of information is changing the nature of medical knowledge.