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A laptop computer sits in the Berenson Emergency Department at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center July 16, 2001 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Any kind of medical problem, even a minor one, takes a psychological toll. It’s a time when we entrust ourselves to trained medical professionals. Or do we? More and more, people are hitting the Internet and learning everything they can about what ails them. Many doctors bristle at the idea of getting second-guessed by patients and family members in medical decisions. Some find it dangerous for people with no medical training to be looking at unsubstantiated articles on the web for medical advice. Although others welcome the idea of patients getting more familiar with their diseases and working along side physicians in the exploration of treatment options. What’s the right way to empower and advocate for patients, without making a doctor’s job more difficult?

Guests:

Trisha Torrey, patient empowerment expert and author of You Bet Your Life! The 10 Mistakes Every Patient Makes (How to Fix Them to Get the Health Care You Deserve)

Felicia Cohn, bioethics director, Kaiser Permanente Orange County, professor at UC Irvine School of Medicine