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How did we get along before the advent of the internet?

In my last post at the Medical Blog Network, I talked about patients being proactive, and sharing responsibility for their care. Even Steve Beller PhD talks about it in his latest post. But none of this could have been remotely possible without the aid of the internet, and it's ability to put us in easy contact with doctors, patients and others experts around the world to fill voids and keep up with the latest research.

So I can't help but ask myself, how did we ever got along before the internet?

I don't know how many of you in the cyberworld were around prior to the internet becoming part of US and world culture. I know that I was, but what is so amazing about that statement is, I really can't remember what it was like without the aid of the internet. The internet has become such an integral part of my life, I really can't imagine a time without it.

How did we make airline reservations? How did we figure out how to get from point A to point B? How did we get along so well without email? But worst of all, what did people do when they got sick before there was an internet? How did they know whether their doctor was prescribing the correct treatment protococals? How did they keep up with the latest advances in medicine? How did they even know if they were diagnosed correctly?

I bring this up, because of my experiences with the internet. If it weren't for the internet, I would have had to put my full blind faith and trust in my doctor. Even for the most competent of doctors, can you imagine the pressure that put them under! No wonder so many of us still think of them as gods.

Because of the internet, I learned doctors are not gods. The are actually human beings, possessing the same human frailties and capable of the same mistakes as the rest of us. It was because of the internet I discovered that my first oncologist had little idea of what he was talking about, and wouldn't even listen to the contradictions I put in front of him. He obviously thought of himself as a god, or he didn't make use of the internet.

So as I was reflecting on world events this morning, I thought I would give a special thanks to all those who helped develope the internet, including the military establishment that provided the motivation for its developement. The internet just may be the single biggest factor effecting change to the face of US health care than any other single factor.

Cross posted on the Medical Blog Network - A Patients Journey
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