Health IT, data glut altering patient-physician relationship

Even with the vast majority of medical records still stored in paper files, health IT already has had a profound effect on the ways in which people seek and receive care, thanks to social networking, electronic patient-physician communication, mobile applications and the growing number of EMRs like pediatric EMR, cardiology EMR and other EMR.

"For as long as we've known, health care has been "I go to the physician, and they tell me what to do, and i do it, " says DR. Nitu Kashyap, research fellow at the Yale Center for Medical Informatics, tells Scientific American.

Soon more patients will be arriving at a hospital or doctor' office having reviewed their own record, and latest test results. Going to hospitals which needs a lot of effort will be lessen. Patients can send a text message or email to their physician to ask their question about their health.

With more data of patients on health care provider, there will be a growing expectation that health care providers will be smarter to treat patient's illness.

In many ways, the a shift in patient-physician relationship already has created a work flow crisis on the health care provider and this could encourage the expansion of the roles of nurses.