You can do practically anything online: pay your bills, shop, keep in touch with your friends, even date! So it’s no surprise more and more Americans are turning to the world wide web to get medical advice. The trend is so new it’s difficult to gauge just how many patients and doctors are doing it but a recent study by the “Manhattan Research” group suggests that 68 percent of adult Americans are using the web to search for healthcare information. 42 percent of physicians in this country say they’ve discussed clinical symptoms online with their patients. More than 9 million consumers say they’ve had some sort of email correspondence with their family doc.

“E-visits” as they’re called are becoming so popular some of the nation’s leading insurance carriers have begun to reimburse customers for their online consultations. Some health care groups have even created their own online portals to link patients with docs via the information superhighway. The online services are designed to cut down a patient’s waiting time in the office and over the telephone for simple requests like getting a prescription refilled or getting lab results. The “e-visit” concept is not intended for people with chronic conditions.

Some medical experts say while this is the way of the future… there is still no substitute for a face-to-face examination. Doctors warn these “e-visits” are not meant for serious medical conditions and emergencies. Doctor Sam Fink, an internist in southern California, says part of his job is reading his patients when they come to visit him… something he can’t do over email. He says trying to interpret what a patient is describing or feeling is very difficult without that personal connection. He stresses that if you’re experiencing severe pain or you suddenly become ill… you should go to an Emergency Room right away and obviously not spending time to drop your doctor a quick email.

So, what do you think? Would you consider having an “e-visit” with your doctor? Or, is this just another example of technology taking over and impacting our daily lives?