Pew Research Center

FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 27, 2008

Participatory Medicine: How User-Generated Media are Changing American Attitudes and Actions, Online and Off

The internet has changed people's expectations of their relationship with health professionals. One possible next step is the concept of participatory medicine.

BY Susannah Fox

FOR MEDIA OR OTHER INQUIRIES:

Communications Department
202.419.4372
www.pewresearch.org

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Pew Research Center, October 2008, "Participatory Medicine: How User-Generated Media are Changing American Attitudes and Actions, Online and Off"

About Pew Research Center

Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It does not take policy positions. The Center conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, computational social science research and other data-driven research. It studies politics and policy; news habits and media; the internet and technology; religion; race and ethnicity; international affairs; social, demographic and economic trends; science; research methodology and data science; and immigration and migration. Pew Research Center is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, its primary funder.

© Pew Research Center 2026

Table of contents

  • About Pew Research Center

Participatory Medicine: How User-Generated Media are Changing American Attitudes and Actions, Online and Off

The internet has changed people's expectations of their relationship with health professionals. One possible next step is the concept of participatory medicine.

The internet created a way for people to pool knowledge and resources. Gathering and sharing information online and connecting with people of like interests have become the new normal. Plus the internet has changed people’s expectations of their relationship with health professionals. One possible next step is the concept of participatory medicine, a cooperative model of medical care that encourages and expects active participation by all involved parties as an integral part of the full continuum of care.

Connected Health: Participatory Medicine from Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project