“Try not to Google everything”
The findings weren’t surprising, but the researchers found that patients seeking information online often have a high level of disease burden, as evidenced by biologics use and a majority being seen by specialists. That’s worrisome, said Jason Reich, MD, a gastroenterologist in Fall River, Mass., who has also studied social media use among IBD patients but was not involved in this study. “The last person you want getting poor-quality information is someone with pretty active disease,” said Dr. Reich in an interview.
Dr. Reich agreed with the authors that IBD specialists should consider having a dietitian in their clinic, or at least refer patients to dietitians early on. He also advocated for gastroenterologists (and all physicians, really) to have an online presence, if possible. “At least make themselves and their office accessible. I always tell my patients, if you have questions, try not to Google everything online and just shoot me a message through the portal instead,” said Dr. Reich. He added that nurses can handle such duties, especially those trained in IBD. “Personally, I don’t mind sending my short messages back and forth. Especially if it’s just a question. That’s easy enough to do when it takes maybe a minute or 2.”
The authors disclosed no funding sources. Dr. Reich has no relevant financial disclosures.