title: Has the Web really empowered health care consumers? The truth is customers may not have changed as much as we think.
abstract: The experts tell us that fueled by unprecedented access to health information online, today's new health care consumer will revolutionize the way health care services are organized and delivered. An examination of consumers from a health value-graphic perspective, however, casts some doubt on these predictions. Patterns emerging online are simply making us more aware of existing consumer segments that have always been actively involved in their own health.
authors.affiliation: PATH Organization, San Jose, Calif., USA. swilkins@pathorganization.com
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Wilkins
authors.forename: F H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Navarro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003256:Community Participation / Q000639:trends*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008389:Marketing of Health Services; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States