Who is "WebMD'ing" You... Forever?

You are a doctor or nurse practitioner....  Your patient calls in with an ailment.... And their own fairly accurate diagnosis!   They want you to confirm it and write a prescription based on their findings.  You dispute their opinion, but to no avail.  They have already researched your argument.

This would have been unbelievable a few years ago, but with the advent of internet sites like WebMD, it has become all too common.

As medical information and research becomes more available to the average customer, more and more practices are having to answer to the trend.  WebMD is making people more knowledgeable about the technical details of their health.

Unthinkable?  Not really.

It is similar to the days (centuries ago) when the Bible was translated into the common person's language (when only the clergy understood Latin).  Suddenly priests had to deal with the availability of personal access to scriptural knowledge.  The Church no longer held the authority it once held over the masses.

Similarly, investment advisers have found growing competition from E Trade and other self-investing services. Suddenly, everyone has access to the same information you have - without going through you first.

How would instant accessibility to the information you hold over your customers change your business services and focus?

A growing number of customers now book their own hotels, rental cars and flights (replacing travel agents), do their own home repairs (replacing contractors), transact banking (replacing tellers) and research their own news (replacing newspapers and network newscasts).

-Who is WebMD'ing your business?  How are you preparing to adapt when it comes?

Because it will come....