Patient behaviour has changed over the last decade or so. Above all, they concern the way in which they access and use health services. The Internet allows patients to make the most advantageous choices from their point of view, not only of health services, but also of where to receive them. Modern technology has opened up new possibilities for patients to choose both where to receive health services and the means of meeting their health needs and accessing health information. The Internet offers many benefits to e-patients, but it also carries risks (self-medication based on network information, cyberchondria). Despite the development of e-health services, in some areas the strong position of traditional medical care appears to be unthreatened (e.g. collection of material for diagnostic tests). However, there is no doubt that the Internet offers many new opportunities for a new segment of patients - the so-called e-patients. Current trends in changes in patient behaviour are a response to the transformation of lifestyles (including communication), but also to broader changes in the patient environment. This is resulting in the virtualisation of parts of patient behaviour and transformations in patient health decision-making processes. Indeed, the increasing availability of the Internet, including mobile Internet, facilitates its use in the process of caring for health, from seeking information and comparing alternatives to using a specific health service. Nevertheless, patients' attitudes and preferences towards this form of activity still vary.
https://journals.viamedica.pl/psychiatria/article/view/75974