What We Do
Incision Sites helps doctors by designing, building
and maintaining web sites that deliver these benefits;
In addition, we can also integrate all of your
other marketing activities, such as printing and advertising. Click here for
a detailed explanation of the services we can deliver.
Patients
are now demanding a more active role in the decision
making process surrounding the management of their condition. In
Australia and overseas, over 25% of patients visiting medical specialists
use the internet to;
- research their condition
- assess treatment options or
- identify a specialist they would like to work with.8,9
Over 1 in 3 Australian Specialist
doctors now have websites 2
Despite 88% of 1,650 surveyed specialists agreeing that it would
be valuable for their patients to access good quality information
on the web, only 14% of them actually suggest they do so.2 Why?
The internet is awash with incomplete and inaccurate medical information4 – and
specialists don’t
think they have the time to spend bringing their patients ‘back
on track’.5 Most
patients don’t have the searching skills
to find accurate, complete and relevant information on the web. Nor
do they have the knowledge to recognise it if they happen across
it.11,12
Eventually it becomes clear
that only solution for physicians wanting well educated patients
(amongst the other benefits listed above) is to build a practice
web site that includes appropriate information and links to other
sites they’ve vetted.13
Save time and hassle in the Practice
Whilst educating patients (and its subsequent benefits)
may be the impetus behind a practice web site for many specialists,
it is only one of several areas where extra value can be realised.14
For example, your staff can save time by referring your patients
to your web site for maps about parking, public transport, contact
details, where to stay, directions to your office, printable patient
forms and a list of things they need to bring to consultations.
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More productive consultations
The style of your patient consultations will
change from a lecture to a discussion. Your patients will be referred
to your web site by
your practice staff when their initial consultation is booked. Instead
of delivering “Endometriosis and the Comparative Benefits of
its Endosurgical Management”; you can check your patients’ understanding
of the issues, address any concerns they may have and answer their
questions (those not already answered on your site).15 This
is what patients now want.
Whilst it is unlikely that patient consultations
will get shorter, they will most definitely be more beneficial – for
all parties.16
Lower medico-legal risks
Apart from happier patients (who pay their
bills and tell their friends how great you are) these enhanced
relationships also mean
that when medical accidents occur, patients will be less likely to
run straight to the nearest lawyer. This is because they’ve
been fully informed of the risks, played an active part in the decision
making process and have clear expectations of the range of possible
outcomes.14 Under the weight of litigant data, medical indemnity
insurers will soon reward practices that deliver good quality online
education to their patients.
Enhanced referrals
Perhaps the most important professional feature of your web site
is its ability to demonstrate your particular surgical skills, experience
and specialisation to a referral base (potential patients, GPs and
other specialists) of almost unlimited proportions.
The value of this increase in referral numbers
may be realised in several different ways. You may be able to see
more patients or perform
more procedures. If your business is already running at full capacity,
your increased referral base may enable you to be more selective
regarding the type of cases you see and / or increase revenue
per case.
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References
|
Al-Shahi R et al, The
Internet. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2002; 73:619-628. |
|
ACNielsen, Second
Annual Australian eHealth Study, November 2002. |
|
Selene G et al, Influence
Of The Internet In An Orthopaedic Practice: Survey Of
500 Patients Uni Penn Orth J 2002;15:61-65. |
|
Karp S & Monroe A, Quality
Of Healthcare Information On The Internet: Caveat Emptor
Still Rules Manag Care Q 2002 Spring;10(2):3-8. |
|
Hardwick J & MacKenzie F, Information
contained in miscarriage-related websites and the predictive
value of website scoring systems Eur J Obstet Gyn Repr Biol 2003 Jan;106(1):60-3. |
|
Bessell T et al, Prevalence
Of Sth Australia’s Online Health Seekers. Aust NZ J Pub Hlth 2002 Apr;26(2):170-3. |
|
Diaz J et al, Patients’ Use
Of The Internet For Medical Information J Gen Intern Med 2002 Mar:17(3):180-5. |
|
Kohler C & Eysenbach G, The
Internet, Chances Risks And Prospects For The Surgical
Patient Chirurg 2002 May;73(5):410-6. |
|
Brotherton J et al, Use
of the Internet by Oncology Patients MJA 2002 177(6):395. |
|
Pemberton P & Goldblatt J, The
Internet And The Changing Role Of Doctors, Patients And
Families MJA 1998;169:594-595. |
|
Murero M et al, Use
Of The Internet By Patients Before And After Surgery J Med Internet Res 2001 jul-Sep;3(3):E27. |
|
Eysenbach G & Kohler C, How
Do Consumers Search For And Appraise Health Information
On The World Wide Web? BMJ Mar 2002; 324:573-7. |
|
Tuffrey C & Finlay F, Use
Of The Internet By Parents Of Paediatric Outpatients Arch Dis Child 2002 Dec;87(6):534-6. |
|
Ullrich P & Vaccaro A, Patient
Education On The Internet: Opportunities And Pitfalls Spine 2002 Apr;27(7):E185-8. |
|
Gupte C et al, The
Internet – Friend Or Foe? A Questionnaire Study Of Orthopaedic
Out-Patients. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2002 May;84(3):187-92. |
|
Potts H & Wyatt J, Survey
Of Doctors Experience Of Patients Using The Internet. J Med Internet Res 2002;4(1):e5. |
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