Informed Consent in the (Mis) Information Age

Recent studies suggest that large numbers of healthcare consumers are turning to the Internet as a source of health information. This article considers the potential impact of on-line health information on women’s health-care decisions, and the role of physicians relating to their patients’ use of the Internet as an information source. In particular, the article examines the effect of on-line health information on the informed consent process. Physicians’ disclosure obligations (their legal duty to provide information to patients) and the law of informed consent are briefly described. The article then considers the Internet as a source of health information, and instances and types of misinformation. Finally, the article suggests steps physicians may take to help their patients benefit from Internet health information and to become critical consumers who do not fall victim to inaccurate or misleading information. The article concludes by suggesting that physicians make a practice of asking their patients about alternate sources of information they may have accessed, in order to help ensure that patients’ health-care decisions are based on current accurate and complete information.