She needs tointegrate Web information with information she’s
received from her oncologist with information shelearned from other patients in order to understand the complexity behind the decisions she must make.
Sharing information with individuals from social,
professional, and health-care networks while maintaining
personal privacy. Patients must balance their desire
to share information with others and the effort
required to share it. They also must be able to control
how and what information is shared and with whom.
For example, one day, while Irene is at work in her
cubicle, the clinic calls to report her latest blood test
results and reschedule a chemotherapy appointment.
Although her colleagues at work do not know about
her cancer diagnosis, she decides to have the conversation
where her colleagues might overhear her,
rather than risk playing phone tag with the
nurse. In response to these results, the
nurse reschedules Irene’s next appointment
for an earlier date. Irene
adds the new appointment to
her personal calendar, then
makes a note to tell
both her supervisor
and the friend who
will drive her to the
appointment. As she
goes to her next work
meeting, she remembers
that she must also notify
her local primary care doctor
about the results of the
blood test.