Article Title

Will a Lawsuit a Day Keep the Cyberdocs Away? Modern Theories of Medical Malpractice as Applied to Cybermedicine

Authors

Ruth Ellen Smalley, University of Richmond

Abstract

Rivaled only by lawyers, those who earn their livelihood by practicing medicine are viewed by many as America's Public Enemy No. 1. This perception is due to the rising cost of medicine, the over-scheduling of patients, and the poor bedside manner that many people associate with a trip to the doctor's office. However, the advent of the Internet and its proliferation into schools, offices, and homes has placed medical opinions only a mouse click away. Websites, such as cyberdocs.com, allow patients to type in a description of their ailments and receive diagnoses and treatment advice from an on-line medical professional known as a "cyberdoctor." This practice of "cybermedicine" is viewed by many as a liberating alternative to making a trip to see their family practitioner. Critics, on the other hand, foresee a plethora of legal and ethical dilemmas on the electronic horizon.

Recommended Citation

Ruth E. Smalley, Will a Lawsuit a Day Keep the Cyberdocs Away? Modern Theories of Medical Malpractice as Applied to Cybermedicine, 7 Rich. J.L. & Tech 29 (2001).
Available at: https://scholarship.richmond.edu/jolt/vol7/iss3/5