The primary issue when using the Internet as a source of medical information concerns the accuracy and validity of the material. Patients should be aware that there is no quality control mechanism or measure in place that certifies the reliability of the information presented.

We often equate knowledge with power: The more we know, the better we are able to make decisions. Unfortunately, there are cases where ignorance really may be bliss, and Alzheimer's isn't the only one.

The insufferable pace of primary care combined with the erosion of the doctor-patient relationship deters young physicians from entering the field. In my graduating class of 30 or so internal medicine trainees, only two of us chose to go into primary care.

While the internet will never -- and should never -- replace a patient's in-person interaction with his or her doctor, it has created an unprecedented level of access to information about various symptoms and conditions, and also about the doctors themselves.

As the relationship between physicians and their patients continues to shift, it is important for both sides to remember that the practice of health care is a partnership as well as a profession.