Medical professionalism in the internet age

Medical professionalism encompasses the conduct and practices of physicians, both as individuals and as a collective organisation. Professionalism enhances the trust and confidence of patients and society in doctors. The rapid advance in information technology threatens to revolutionize the mode of engagement between patients and doctors, thereby presenting new challenges to the traditional boundaries of the doctor-patient relationship. New and fast-evolving technologies such as the Internet should not be blindly embraced without knowing their strength and weaknesses. Instead they should be used judiciously to improve healthcare, while preserving medical professionalism through good policies and adequate technical knowledge.