In this way, the range of clinical scenarios is more realistically represented, expanding from a single line to an entire plane of possibilities. This

creates a this website framework for anticipating the broader range of possibilities inherent to modern, diverse patient populations. CONTINUING CHANGE: THE INFORMATION REVOLUTION In addition to increased patient diversity, the last several years have seen a profound increase in medical information available to the public. Whether simply the result of emerging avenues of communication, or the aftermath of consumer criticism of medical community monopolization of scientific knowledge, there has been an undeniable increase in the publication of medically relevant texts, Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical journals, magazines, and direct-to-consumer advertising in print and electronic media. World-wide access to information Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical through the internet has been the most important factor in this exponential growth of medical knowledge accessibility. As we enter what some have dubbed the “Internet Age,” more people have immediate access to medical information. It is estimated that billions

of people world-wide use the internet. In North America, the internet was available in 70% of homes in 2009, the latest year for which statistics are available.29 Additionally, the value of the internet as a source of information is unlike that of any Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical other existing tool. A multitude of websites are designed for people of all ages, education levels,

and general background demographics, allowing many individuals to turn to the web to research medical questions. As a consequence of the growing availability of information accessible to the general public, a new dynamic within clinical interaction has emerged, Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical greatly impacting the medical sphere and how patients view their condition. Studies have found that a significant percentage of American patients, ranging from close to 30% to over 50%, have used the internet as a resource for medical information,10,16,30 and that more than 100 million adults have surfed the web Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical in search of health and medically related matters.31 For patients, having additional knowledge has often been reported as overwhelmingly helpful, as it gives them more confidence to speak with their physician (97%), encourages them to follow their doctor’s advice (85%), enables them to understand their problem better (86%), benefits them in the decision-making process (74%), and improves their communication others with their doctor (62%).10 But for many health care providers, this new source of information induces an unfamiliar dynamic. While it is estimated that the majority of physicians utilize the internet themselves,10 an astonishingly low percentage discuss the internet as a tool with their patients. Most commonly, physicians have expressed concern over the validity of the information found on the internet, especially in the hands of untrained patients.