The influence of information technology on patient-physician relationships

Interpersonal relationships and information are intertwined as essential cornerstones of health care. Although information technology (IT) has done much to advance medicine, we are not even close to realizing its full potential. Indeed, issues related to mismanaging health information often undermine relationship-centered care. Information technology must be implemented in ways that preserve and uplift relationships in care, while accommodating major deficiencies in managing information and making medical decisions. Increased collaboration between experts in IT and relationship-centered care is needed, along with inclusion of relationship-based measures in informatics research.